Cure
by Tina-chan V
Summary: An illness has struck the Clans, killing its victims too quickly to be helped. Strangely enough, the deadly sickness only targets females. Now, with few she-cats remaining and the future uncertain, eight cats must search for a cure.
1. Allegiances

**Welcome to** _ **"Cure"**_ **! This story is the reboot of** _ **"Killer Cure"**_ **, and is currently rated T, but that could be bumped up to an M later on. Considering the concept, be prepared for touchy subjects and events that may be upsetting. If you ever find yourself uncomfortable, feel free to stop reading.**

 **Now then, here are the allegiances. These allegiances are based on those from** _ **"Bramblestar's Storm"**_ **, as this takes place about 6 moons afterwards, but is following a different timeline.**

 **An asterisk (*) means that a cat has blackcough.**

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 **THUNDERCLAN:**

 **Leader:** Bramblestar - Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy:** Lionblaze - Golden tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Jayfeather - Gray tabby tom with blind, blue eyes

 **Warriors:**

Graystripe - Long-haired gray tom with amber eyes

Sandstorm - Pale-ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur - Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Sorrelpaw

Cloudtail - Long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Thornclaw - Golden-brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Spiderleg - Long-legged black tom with a brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall - Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Berrynose - Cream tom with a stumped tail and amber eyes

Mousewhisker - Gray-and-white tom with green eyes

*Poppyfrost - Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Cinderheart - Gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Bumblestripe - Very pale, gray tabby tom with black stripes and amber eyes

Ivypool - Silver-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Cherryfall - Ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Molewhisker - Brown-and-cream tom with amber eyes

Stormcloud - Gray tabby tom with amber eyes; former kittypet

Lilyheart - Small, dark-gray tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes

*Ambermoon - Pale-ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Dewnose - Gray-and-white tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Fernpaw

Snowbush - Fluffy, white tom with amber eyes

 **Apprentices:**

Sorrelpaw – Dark-brown she-cat with green eyes

Fernpaw – Yellow tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Queens:**

*Daisy - Long-furred, cream she-cat with blue eyes; from the horseplace

Blossomfall - Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes. Expecting Mousewhisker's kits

 **Elders:**

Purdy - Plump, tabby tom with amber eyes and a grayed muzzle; former loner

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 **SHADOWCLAN:**

 **Leader:** Rowanstar - Ginger tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy:** Crowfrost - Black-and-white tom with amber eyes

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Littlecloud - Very small, brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Warriors:**

Owlclaw - Light-brown tom with amber eyes

Scorchfur - Dark-gray tom with amber eyes

Tigerheart - Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ferretclaw - Cream-and-gray tom with amber eyes

Pinenose - Black she-cat with green eyes

Stoatfur - Skinny, ginger tom with amber eyes

Stonewing - White tom with blue eyes. **Apprentice,** Juniperpaw

*Wasptail - Yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes. **Apprentice,** Strikepaw

Pouncetail - Brown tabby tom with green eyes

Grassheart - Pale-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Spikefur - Dark-brown tom with green eyes

 **Apprentices:**

Strikepaw - Brown tabby tom with amber eyes, and a white underbelly and paws

Juniperpaw - Small, black tom with blue eyes

 **Queens:**

*Dawnpelt - Cream-furred she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Crowfrost's kits; Adderkit (pale, golden tabby tomkit) and Larchkit (tortoiseshell she-kit)

 **Elders:**

Snaketail - Brown tom with a striped tail and amber eyes

Ratscar - Brown tom with a scar along his back and amber eyes

Oakfur - Small, brown tom with green eyes

Smokefoot - Black tom with blue eyes

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 **WINDCLAN:**

 **Leader:** Onestar - Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy:** Harespring - Brown-and-white tom with green eyes

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Kestrelflight - Mottled gray tom with blue eyes

 **Warriors:**

Crowfeather - Dark-gray tom with blue eyes

*Gorsetail - Pale, gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Weaselfur - Ginger tom with white paws and blue eyes

Leaftail - Dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot - Gray tom with dark paws and amber eyes

Breezepelt - Black tom with amber eyes

*Furzepelt - Gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Crouchfoot - Ginger tom with amber eyes

Slightfoot - Black tom with a flash of white on his chest

Hootwhisker - Dark-gray tom with blue eyes

Oatclaw - Pale-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Queens:**

Heathertail - Light-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Expecting Breezepelt's kits

 **Elders:**

Whiskernose - Light-brown tom with amber eyes

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 **RIVERCLAN:**

 **Leader:** *Mistystar - Gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Deputy:** Reedwhisker - Black tom with gray eyes

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Willowshine – Dark-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

 **Warriors:**

Mintfur - Light-gray tom with orange eyes

*Minnowtail - Dark gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Mallownose - Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Petalfur - Gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Lakeheart - Gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Heronwing - Dark gray-and-black tom with blue eyes

Podlight - Gray-and-white tom with green eyes

Lizardtail - Light-brown tom with amber eyes

Perchwing - Gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Jayclaw - Gray tom with blue eyes

Owlnose - Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Queens:**

Brackenpelt - Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Expecting Reedwhisker's kits

 **Elders:**

Pouncetail - Ginger-and-white tom with green eyes

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **THE TRIBE OF RUSHING WATER:**

 **Healer:** Teller of the Pointed Stones **(Stoneteller)** \- Dark-gray tom with amber eyes

 **Prey-Hunters:**

Brook Where Small Fish Swim **(Brook)** \- Brown tabby she-cat with gray eyes

Stormfur - Dark-gray tom with amber eyes; formerly of RiverClan

Flight of Startled Heron **(Flight)** \- Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Screech of Angry Owl **(Screech)** \- Black tom with amber eyes

Splash When Fish Leaps **(Splash)** \- Light-brown tabby she-cat with a stubby tail and amber eyes

Dark Shadow on Water **(Dark)** \- Black tom with amber eyes

Hare Under Cliff Shadow **(Hare)** \- Large, black-and-white tom with blue eyes

 **Cave-Guards:**

Sheer Path Beside Waterfall **(Sheer)** \- Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Night of No Stars **(Night)** \- Jet-black she-cat with green eyes

Moss That Grows by River **(Moss)** \- Light-brown she-cat with blue eyes

Pebble That Rolls Down Mountain **(Pebble)** \- Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Snow Falling on Stones **(Snow)** \- White she-cat with blue eyes

Pine That Clings to Rock **(Pine)** \- Light-brown tom with green eyes

Sun Shining on Water **(Sun)** \- Light-brown tom with amber eyes

Stream With Melting Ice **(Stream)** \- Dark-brown tabby she-cat with white feet and green eyes

Eagle That Swoops Quickly **(Eagle)** \- Dark-gray tabby tom with blue eyes

 **Kit-Mothers:**

Lark That Sings at Dawn **(Lark)** \- Pale-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Sun's kits; Mud Where Stones Rest (brown tomkit) and Roar of Sudden Storm (gray tomkit with black paws)

Flower That Grows on Rock **(Flower)** \- Tabby-and-black she-cat with amber eyes. Expecting kits

 **To-Bes:**

Fog That Covers Sky **(Fog)** \- Pale-gray tom with amber eyes (prey-hunter)

Shadow of Falling Feather **(Shadow)** \- Mottled, gray-and-black she-cat with blue eyes (cave-guard)

 **Elders:**

Talon of Swooping Eagle **(Talon)** \- Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Cloud With Star in Belly **(Cloud)** \- Pale-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Gray Sky Before Dawn **(Gray)** \- Pale-gray tabby tom with blue eyes

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **THE BAND:**

Harper - Brown tabby tom with green eyes

Spice - Mottled, tortoiseshell queen with gray eyes

Lightning - Black tom with a white throat and amber eyes

Miles - Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Kerry - Small, ginger-brown tom with amber eyes

Flame - Creamy-white she-cat with ginger extremities and blue eyes

Summer - Small, white she-cat with green eyes and a ginger tail

Winter - Small, white tom with blue eyes and a black tail

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Dead Cats:**

 **ThunderClan:**

Brightheart

Squirrelflight

Leafpool

Millie

Whitewing

Briarlight

Dovewing

Rosepetal

Hollykit

 **ShadowClan:**

Tawnypelt

Snowbird

Sleekpaw

Ivytail

Kinkfur

Whitewater

 **WindClan:**

Larkwing

Nightcloud

Featherpelt

Whitetail

Sedgewhisker

Fernkit

 **RiverClan:**

Mothwing

Mistystar (one life)

Duskfur

Mosspelt

Shimmerpelt

Havenpelt

Icewing

Rushtail

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 **A/N: Please point out any mistakes that you may notice, though I think I did fairly well. This is the beginning of the new reboot of** _ **"Killer Cure"**_ **, and I hope that you can all enjoy the story as it goes on.**

 **Later, my lovelies~**

 **\- Tina**


	2. Prologue

**Prologue:**

Bramblestar lay crouched beside his mate's shaking form. Squirrelflight was thin, looking half-starved after being rendered unable to keep any food down many sunrises ago. Her chest moved slowly as she took weak, gulping breaths, and her green eyes were wide with confusion and pain. She looked as if all the strength and spirit that had once enamored him had been drained from her body.

She was dying; he couldn't deny that. It was just like with the five victims before her: Brightheart, Millie, Rosepetal, Leafpool, and Briarlight.

Blackcough was a new and merciless sickness, far worse than any bought of greencough. For whatever reason, it only seemed to victimize she-cats. Neither herb nor prayer had been able to save past sufferers, and they couldn't save his beloved mate either. Still, Bramblestar found himself begging StarClan not to take her from the clan—from him.

' _Please, StarClan,'_ he implored, _'Just give me a little more time with her.'_

Squirrelflight stirred, moving shakily as she tried to lift her head. With glassy eyes, she mewed, "Shrewpaw? Aren't…aren't you supposed to…be training?"

Bramblestar's heart sank even further. For the last three sunrises, Squirrelflight had been in a delusion, believing that she was an apprentice again, still living in the old forest. No amount of reasoning seemed to get through to her, and she'd begun mistaking her clanmates for those already passed. Similar imaginings had happened with the others as well, and everyone had learned that it was best to just play along.

Trying to his best to mask the grief in his tone, he replied, "Thornclaw's on a patrol."

"Hunting?" Squirrelflight asked, a tone of hope in her shaky voice.

Bramblestar nodded, "Yes, he's hunting with Willowpelt and Brightheart."

Squirrelflight laid her head back down and whispered, "Hungry…"

A new rush of sorrow came upon Bramblestar, and he leaned closer, licking between his mate's ears in an attempt to comfort her. Squirrelflight didn't react, having gone back to just breathing and shivering. He continued to drag his tongue through her ginger fur. The queen had been unable to clean herself for well over half a moon, relying on her clanmates to do so for her. As he carried on, Bramblestar felt his eyelids grow heavy, his tiredness beginning to take over, and he found himself closing his eyes for a moment.

* * *

From behind him, Bramblestar heard a cough from Whitewing. He opened his eyes, turning to look at the white cat. She remained curled up beside a slumbering Dovewing, wearily looking around as she coughed again. After a heartbeat or two, she seemed to notice Bramblestar.

"Bramblestar? What…" Whitewing took in the sight of Squirrelflight, "Oh…"

Confused, Bramblestar turned back to his mate, and was horrified. Squirrelflight's chest was no longer moving, and her eyes stared at nothing, having lost the shine of life within them. Sucking in a breath, Bramblestar got a whiff of death from the she-cat's body. Before he could stop it, a wail of sorrow escaped from him.

Just then, the brambles of the den's entrance shook as Jayfeather rushed inside, his mouth filled with freshly-gathered herbs. His blind eyes locked on to Squirrelflight's body, and he seemed to immediately understand what was going on. The tabby set the herbs down to be sorted later, and padded to where the queen lay.

Jayfeather leaned in to sniff the queen, and his face turned grim as he took a step back, "She's gone."

"I know," Bramblestar meowed in a choked voice, his eyes closing with grief. He pressed his face into her still-warm fur. He felt a dozen emotions at once. Sorrow at the loss of his mate, anger with himself for falling asleep, and so much more. In the back of his mind, he heard Whitewing whimpering and Jayfeather muttering something, but just wasn't paying them any mind. That was, until Jayfeather nudged him.

Reluctantly, he lifted his head and looked at the gray tabby. Jayfeather's cloudy gaze pierced into him like always, as if he could actually see him."

"The sun will be setting soon. You have to name the new deputy," he meowed, his tone giving no option about it.

Bramblestar knew that was true. A deputy had to be named before the sun vanished into the horizon, as it was tradition. He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. A leader had to be strong, just as he'd been throughout all the misfortune that had struck the Clans since Firestar's death. Although his heart still ached, his Clan was depending on him, and he couldn't afford to fall into grief and possibly lose himself, as he remembered Bluestar doing.

In spite of his desire to stay beside his deceased mate, he got to his paws. As he did so, Jayfeather moved to the queen's body, "I'll prepare her for vigil. Go get it over with."

Knowing that the tom's harshness was a mere mixture of his usual personality and mourning, Bramblestar paid no mind to his choice of words. He nodded and, with one last look at Squirrelflight's still form, exited the den.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: And there's the prologue. Hopefully this is better that its predecessor. The name of the sickness is now called "blakcough", instead of "Killer". Yes, I know that blackcough was mentioned in the books, but it was just an error, since the authors changed its name to greencough.**

 **Tell me what you guys think. I'd really appreciate some reviews, since they keep me motivated to continue updating , and feel free to suggest some ideas. I'm sure some of them will come in handy.**

 **Also, at the end of each chapter, I will be including a Warriors fact. Here's the first one:**

 **Fact: A Warriors movie has finally been announced, and is being made by Alibaba Pictures.**

 **Later, my lovelies~**

 **\- Tina**


	3. Chapter 1: The Plight of WindClan

**Chapter 1: The Plight of WindClan**

It was late greenleaf. Prey was plentiful, with plenty of birds chirping away and abundant mice scurrying among the undergrowth. The air was warm, the plants were lush, and the sky was clear of not even a single cloud. It was days like these that Cherryfall loved, and it was almost enough to make her forget the horrible misfortune that had struck the Clans. With the light breeze bringing prey-scent to her nose and the Sun's warmth meeting her fur, she could act as if everything were alright.

Trotting after her clanmates, Cherryfall did her best to focus on the patrol, rather than the fact that her mother had recently come down with the awful illness known as blackcough. They were approaching the WindClan border, and she could already catch whiffs of the other Clan's scent.

"Bramblestar said to keep a close eye on WindClan," Brackenfur meowed as he led the way, "Apparently, Dewnose caught some of their scent on our side of the stream."

Spiderleg growled, "Why can't those flea-pelts stick to their own territory?"

"Why does any cat trespass?" Bumblestripe asked rhetorically, "It's always either prey or land."

"Well they're not getting either," Cherryfall meowed, her ears folding back as she thought of WindClan cats on ThunderClan land. The mental image was torn apart when Spiderleg let out a yowl of anger. Snapping to attention, Cherryfall's eyes went wide as she saw two WindClan toms making their way across the stream.

Brackenfur growled at Spiderleg to wait, but the long-legged tom had already rushed ahead. Cherryfall found her paws itching, and she hurried to join him, ignoring Brackenfur's protests. Of course, she knew better than to just run over and start clawing, but if the WindClan cats started a fight, she wouldn't hesitate to defend herself.

The toms, whom she recongized as Leaftail and Emberfoot, made it across and stood their ground as they were faced with a patrol.

"Stop right there!" Spiderleg hissed, his tail lashing as he met the two. Cherryfall came to stand beside her taller clanmate, and she looked back as she heard Brackenfur and Bumblestripe catch up. Bumblestripe's thick fur was standing slightly, and Brackenfur's eyes were narrowed as he approached.

The golden-brown tom came to stand before the two warriors. In a suspicious tone, he mewed, "I guess Dewnose was right. What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?"

Leaftail looked ready to hiss something at him, and Emberfoot shot his clanmate a look of warning. He then meowed to Brackenfur, "We need to speak with Bramblestar."

"Who's to say he'll want to speak to you?" Spiderleg growled, his claws digging into the ground, tearing up grass below him. Bumblestripe rested his tail on his clanmate's shoulder in an obvious attempt to calm him, but the dark tom was having none of it, shaking the tabby off. Seeing this, Cherryfall felt sudden unease gnaw at her, and she took a step away from Spiderleg. His bouts of aggression were becoming more common with each passing day, with Cherryfall feeling almost frightened by them.

Emberfoot ignored Spiderleg, stepping closer to Brackenfur. His amber eyes revealed his desperation as he pleaded, "Please."

"Alright," Brackenfur sighed, seemingly unable to ignore the begging tone. He turned and waved his tail for them to follow, "Let's leave this to Bramblestar."

The two warriors visibly brightened, both immediately moving to follow the tom. Cherryfall quickly moved to flank them with her clanmates. She narrowed her eyes as she saw Leaftail lean towards Emberfoot, whispering something to him before noticing her gaze. The dark tom glared for a heartbeat, but his eyes quickly filled with an unusual heat as he fully took her in. Cherryfall felt sick as she saw this, and gave him a glare in return. It wasn't the first time she'd seen that strange expression; and something about it made her wary. However, she'd never let the rival cats see her anxiety, so she simply sped her pace until she was beside Brackenfur.

Upon reaching camp, reactions were just as expected. Within moments, the whole of ThunderClan was aware of the two WindClan warriors, some watching them suspiciously while others questioned their presence. As Brackenfur led the two cats towards the Highledge, Cherryfall split away from the patrol and immediately came face-to-face with her brother.

"What are _they_ doing here?" Molewhisker asked, his eyes not leaving the WindClanners as they waited for Bramblestar.

Cherryfall shrugged, "They said they wanted to talk to Bramblestar. No explanation why; I guess they wanted to save it for him."

Her ears perked as she noticed their father rushing from the medicine den. Berrynose approached Mousewhisker, speaking to him while throwing looks towards the WindClan warriors. Cherryfall noticed that his creamy fur was even more disheveled than it had been that morning. Concerned, she asked Molewhisker, "How long has Berrynose been with Poppyfrost?"

"Since sunhigh," Molewhisker replied, glancing back at their father, "She vomited while you were gone."

Hearing this, Cherryfall's heart dropped. Worriedly, she mewed, "How is she now?"

"Jayfeather gave her some poppy seeds to make her rest. She's still sleeping," her brother answered. His eyes suddenly shifted, and he pointed with his nose, "Look; I think Bramblestar's calling a meeting."

Sure enough, the tabby tom let out a call for his clanmates to gather, and Cherryfall hurried to the base of the Highledge. Molewhisker sat beside her, his tail-tip twitching with anticipation. As Bramblestar addressed the clan, the two WindClanners stood anxiously to the side.

"Emberfoot and Leaftail have come to make a request on behalf of WindClan," Bramblestar informed, "And it's an unusual one. Normally, I'd make a decision on my own, but I think everyone should have a say in what to do."

The large tom nodded to the WindClanners, and they turned to the Clan before them.

"As you all know, blackcough has killed many," Emberfoot meowed, "Right now, WindClan has only two healthy she-cats."

Cherryfall heard Cloudtail murmur, "Where is this going?"

"What do you want us to do about it? Every clan is suffering!" Spiderleg growled from his place beside Lilyheart.

Leaftail shot a glare towards the tom before meowing, "What we ask is that ThunderClan supply two she-cats to join our ranks."

The response was instantaneous, with yowls of outrage filling the clearing. Some settled for spitting at the cats in anger while others jumped to their paws, ready to flay the warriors. Cherryfall stood, her fur rising on the back of her neck. Was WindClan crazy? What in StarClan made them think that asking this would be a good idea? Did they really think that ThunderClan would agree, or were they just that desperate?

Ivypool hissed loudly, "She-cats are not land that can be given away!"

"ThunderClan cats should stay in ThunderClan," Stormcloud growled, "Where they _want_ to be."

Bramblestar lashed his tail for silence, waiting for the clan to quiet as he addressed the WindClanners, "Have you asked this of any other clan?"

Emberfoot nodded, "We've gone to RiverClan, but they refused."

"And so do we! For once, RiverClan seems to have some sense!" Thornclaw yowled, his tail lashing fiercely.

"This decision is not yours alone, Thornclaw." Bramblestar meowed, giving the golden-brown warrior a stern look. He turned to the WindClan cats, "But as you can see, my clan has made their opinion clear. ThunderClan will not be sending any cats to WindClan, male or female. I'll have two warriors escort you back to the border."

Leaftail growled, but said nothing as he turned away and started for the exit. Emberfoot followed him at a slower pace, his expression defeated, as if he'd lost hope. Cherryfall couldn't ignore the feeling of pity that came to her, especially since she could understand their feelings. As Spiderleg had said, WindClan wasn't the only clan suffering; ThunderClan had it bad, too. Her heart ached as she thought of her mother, still asleep in the medicine den. She couldn't imagine how bad it must be in WindClan for them to resort to this.

As Dewnose and Birchfall led the two cats away, Cherryfall had one thought in her mind.

' _This has to end.'_

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 **A/N: Woo, first chapter! Anyone who's read** _ **"Killer Cure"**_ **will know that this chapter is quite different from its original form; hopefully better.**

 **Keep on reviewing, guys! They're really good motivation!**

 **Fact: Barley's legs were longer than Ravenpaw's, so he had to be a little faster to keep up.**

 **Later, my lovelies~**

 **\- Tina**


	4. Chapter 2: The Omen

**Chapter 2: The Omen**

 _Jayfeather knew he was dreaming when he could see what was around him. Looking around, he realized that he was not in StarClan, nor was he anywhere else that he recognized. There was a stream to his right, with water shining in the sunlight as it gurgled along. A few small fish flitted among the reeds, just barely visible beneath the water's surface. The ground was moist under Jayfeather's paws, squishing whenever he moved, much to his distaste. He turned and spotted a Twoleg bridge, its unusually-shaped stones arching above the stream._

 _Confused, he opened his mouth to taste the air, and could faintly detect RiverClan. Vaguely, he could remember that a stream ran through the clan's territory, having seen it during his few visits. Why was he so close to RiverClan land? He turned back around, trying to find anything that might have significance. There were some trees, a butterfly fluttered among some flowers, and a dog could be heard in the distance._

 _Suddenly, the ground shifted beneath Jayfeather; jerking forward violently, and causing him to cry out in surprise and fear as he lost his balance, falling to the ground. Instead of spongy, damp soil, he found himself lying in lush, dry grass. Bewildered, he lifted his head and was taken aback at what he saw. He was no longer beside the RiverClan stream, but in a strange new place, and he could not detect any clan scent whatsoever._

 _Warily, he got to his paws and observed his surroundings. There were plenty of trees around him, though not as thickly abundant as those in ThunderClan's forest. Cautiously, he began to move, wondering why he was in this place. As he left the cover of the trees, he immediately noticed a mountain in the distance, much like those of the Tribe's._

 _A sound to his left caught his attention, and he whirled around with fear in his belly. He spotted a cat trotting down a hill. Despite being in clear view, she did not seem to notice him. Jayfeather, now curious, decided to follow her. They trotted on, with the she-cat never once acknowledging Jayfeather's presence, until they reached a broad river. Jayfeather stopped, watching as the cat moved towards some reeds, her ginger feet getting wet as she stepped into the water. She sniffed at what he recognized as sweet-sedge, before nipping the stem of one, quickly snatching it up and hopping back onto dry land._

 _As the she-cat passed him, Jayfeather became even more intrigued. Although he knew that she couldn't hear or see him, he still asked, "What are you doing with that?"_

 _Surely she wasn't a medicine cat? But then, what other reason would the cat have for taking the herb?_

 _He followed her once more, watching as the she-cat moved with purpose through the trees, before stopping to jump onto a ledge. Jayfeather did his best to keep up with her, but was left breathless as he copied the cat's well-practiced leaps, and was relieved when she finally seemed to reach her destination. She slowed her pace as she pushed through a honeysuckle bush, and was immediately met by a tom._

" _There you are," the tabby meowed with relief, "Come on, I'm getting tired of Winter's complaining."_

 _The she-cat nodded, and trotted to where a small white tom lay, his black tail twitching irritably as he saw her. He mewed, "Finally! I thought you'd been caught by a fox; you were taking so long!"_

" _Sorry," the she-cat apologized, setting down the sweet-sedge, "I ran into some of Pearl's cats. Here, just swallow the sap. It should help with that infection."_

 _A tortoiseshell queen looked up cleaning her chest, her gray eyes showing worry, "They didn't bother you, did they? They remembered the truce, right?"_

" _Just some stuff about staying off their land," the creamy cat replied with a sniff of displeasure._

 _The queen growled, "I swear, those cats think all the prey will vanish if their precious borders are crossed."_

" _They're chicken-brained," the white tom, Winter, meowed. He licked his lips where some stray sap had gotten, "Pearl, Ash—all of them."_

 _The scene began to fade, and Jayfeather quickly realized that he was waking up. As he watched the strange cats disappear one-by-one, until only the creamy she-cat was left. Jayfeather focused on her, feeling a sudden, overwhelming pull towards her, until she had dissipated as well._

* * *

Opening his eyes, he welcomed the darkness of the waking world. Taking a sniff, he knew that he was back in his nest, the smell of herbs meeting his nose. However, the scent of marigold and borage was overlaid by the sourness of sick cats, and he heard the coughing of Ambermoon.

As he got to his paws, Jayfeather caught a whiff of something else; the sickening sweet-tanginess of blackcough vomit. Poppyfrost must have gotten sick again.

"Jayfeather," Ambermoon croaked from where she lay, "I think Poppyfrost needs some more of those berries."

She was referring to hawkthorne. Jayfeather shook his head, "She's had enough. It doesn't help anyways."

"Here," he meowed, grabbing a honeycomb and setting it beside Ambermoon, "Your throat's getting worse."

Ambermoon didn't reply, and he heard her begin to lap at the honey. Hearing this, he turned to retrieve a few feverfew leaves, proceeding to take them to Poppyfrost. He leaned down, and could feel the heat radiating from her shaking body.

"Poppyfrost," Jayfeather meowed, "This'll help with your fever."

The tortoiseshell gave no sign of having heard him. Instead she mewled pathetically, turning her head as she looked around in a confused state, "Ferncloud, where's Sorreltail? I'm hungry."

Jayfeather felt dread pool into his belly. Just last night, Poppyfrost wasn't supposed to be in the delusion stage yet— it was too soon! The others had taken a few days longer to begin hallucinating, and yet here Poppyfrost was, thinking that she was a kit, still in the nursery.

He closed his eyes in resignation, and began to play along, "Sorreltail is getting some fresh-kill. Here, Leafpool wants you to eat these herbs."

Poppyfrost weakly sniffed at the leaves before turning her head away, "I don't want herbs! I want milk!"

"You'll get milk when Sorreltail is done eating," Jayfeather meowed, holding back a growl of frustration, "But right now, you need to eat these."

The tortoiseshell was quiet for a moment, as if she were going to refuse again. However, she seemed to decide against it, reluctantly lapping up and chewing the herbs. As she ate the feverfew, Jayfeather wondered just how long the she-cat had before she joined their starry ancestors. It seemed unlikely that he'd ever be able to find some miracle cure in time; at least, not one that he hadn't already tried.

After swallowing the leaves, Poppyfrost blanched, "Yuck!"

Satisfied, he told her, "Now rest. Sorreltail will be here soon."

A loud, dry cough sounded through the nursery, and Jayfeather immediately recognized it as being Daisy. The cream-furred cat was only just in the early stages of illness, but Jayfeather didn't know how long that would last. Poppyfrost had leaped ahead in symptoms, leaving Jayfeather wary of the possibility that his two other patients would do the same. He was at a loss of what to do.

He blinked, and was suddenly surrounded by the colors of the world once more. And again, he saw the strange cat, her blue eyes shining as she spotted a patch of marigold. Eagerly, she trotted to the flowers and began plucking a few. Jayfeather didn't know why he was in this strange place again, and was about to call out the cat, despite knowing that she probably wouldn't hear him. Before he could, he blinked, and he was once again in darkness.

Daisy coughed again, shaking in her nest enough that Jayfeather could hear the twigs below her quivering. The dots connected in his mind, and he came to a realization: What he'd seen was an omen. StarClan was trying to tell him something about that odd cat.

"She's still sleeping," Ambermoon rasped as Jayfeather moved towards the queen. Sure enough, Daisy returned to a steady, ragged breathing that signified sleep.

Jayfeather sighed, turning to exit the den. Daisy would need some juniper berries later, both for her breathing and nerves. But right now, he had to get to Bramblestar. He'd had a vision; one that he was sure was connected to blackcough. Perhaps, he thought as he snaked out of the brambles, that she-cat was the answer. However, she was somewhere far away, he imagined.

' _But that's it!'_ He realized, ' _She must know the cure! It's not here, but somewhere far away!'_

With hope flooding into his heart, Jayfeather bounded to where he heard his leader's voice.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Things are getting a little more exciting, huh? But it looks like Poppyfrost might not make it…**

 **Keep up those reviews, guys! They're like clapping for Tinkerbell; they give me energy!**

 **Fact: Ivypool and Fernsong may become mates.**

 **Later, my lovelies~**

 **\- Tina**


	5. Chapter 3: The Gathering

**Chapter 3: The Gathering**

Cherryfall had always enjoyed Gatherings. When she was an apprentice, she'd run around with her brother, playfully comparing herself to apprentices from other clans, and proudly boasting about their mentors and leaders. Those nights of running around and annoying the older cats were behind her, but she still liked chatting with other warriors, feeling the bond among the clans stay strong. Though they fought each other occasionally, she liked knowing that the four clans could always rely on one another when the need came. Of course, that was before blackcough.

As she walked among the many cats gathered on the island, Cherryfall could feel the tension in the air. In fact, she bet that if she reached out with a claw, she could cut through it.

A growl from Birchfall caught her attention, and she swung her head to where he trotted beside her. The tabby tom looked at her and explained, "There are too many toms here."

"Yeah," Cherryfall agreed. Looking around, she could see that, combined, RiverClan and ShadowClan had only brought three she-cats. The WindClan cats, all male, glared at the cats around them. Some had envy in their eyes, others showed sadness. There was such a loss of hope among the WindClanners that Cherryfall couldn't help but feel bad for them. If their request two sunrises ago was any indication, the clan was extremely desperate.

One of the toms— who she couldn't remember the name of—noticed her gaze and perked up. The gray cat leaned towards the ginger tom beside him, saying something while gesturing towards her with his tail. The ginger tom glanced at her, and immediately shook his head, seeming to scold his clanmate for whatever he'd said.

"Cherryfall," Birchfall meowed from beside her, gently bumping her shoulder.

She returned her attention to him, "Yes?"

"Remember what Lionblaze said," the older warrior reminded, "Don't wander off. Stick with the Clan."

Cherryfall nodded, not having noticed that she'd begun to distance herself from her clanmates. Before they'd departed for the Gathering, Lionblaze had informed everyone that Bramblestar wanted the clan to stay close to each other. He hadn't given an exact reason, but Cherryfall had heard Blossomfall mutter about 'not needing to be protected'. She agreed, but with how tense things were, Cherryfall had to admit that her leader was right.

Even as she settled down between Thornclaw and Sandstorm, Cherryfall could see that there was very little interaction among the clans. Everyone seemed to have had the same idea as Bramblestar.

A loud yowl from the Great Oak stopped what little talk there was. Cherryfall sat up straight as she focused on the four leaders. Mistystar stood up from her place beside Rowanstar, but quickly sat back down after her legs began to tremble.

"Looks like Mistystar's sick again," a ShadowClan elder commented. Cherryfall could see worry in the eyes of the RiverClan cats, and she could understand why. According to Jayfeather, Mistystar had already lost one life to blackcough, and her old age certainly wasn't helping her avoid another bout of illness.

"RiverClan is saddened to report that Rushtail has been lost to blackcough, and we hope that she is at peace among the Stars," Mistystar meowed, attempting to mask her sorrow with a strong voice.

A saddened murmur swept through the crowd, and Cherryfall felt her own heart drop as she heard the news. She'd only talked to Rushtail a couple of times, but the elderly cat had been very kind towards her. She remembered her second Gathering, when she'd gotten her paw stuck between two rotting tree branches. Rushtail had noticed and calmly instructed her on how to twist her leg in order to get free. The elder certainly saved her from a lot of embarrassment, since Cherryfall was sure that her brother and the younger warriors would have been amused by her mishap.

The RiverClan leader continued after a moment of silence, "However, every shadow is joined by light, and we are pleased to present three new warriors: Brackenpelt, Jayclaw, and Owlnose."

The young warriors, two toms and one she-cat, raised their heads as some congratulations were given. Cherryfall joined in, calling the cats by their new names. The three seemed pleased, but there was no hiding the she-cats nervousness. Cherryfall saw how a few of her male clanmates looked at her with what almost seemed to be jealousy, and how she determinedly avoided their gazes. Had she not been told to stay beside her clanmates, Cherryfall would have walked over to comfort her. Fortunately, one of her brothers hissed something at their clanmates, effectively making the toms look away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cherryfall saw Sandstorm shake her head as she mewed, "You'd think she was a fat mouse, with the way those toms look at her."

"She's Icewing's grandkit," Graystripe meowed, "If she's anything like her, she won't be pushed around."

"Hopefully," Sandstorm responded.

Mistystar waved her tail for attention once more and continued, "And lastly, we would like to announce that, in addition to being a new warrior, Brackenpelt is expecting kits."

Upon hearing this, the clearing was immediately flooded with voices. A mixture of shock, pity, and disgust was felt by every cat, and Cherryfall felt even worse for Brackenpelt. It certainly explained why the RiverClan toms looked so bitter. They were apparently late to woo the young queen. She watched as the tortoiseshell cat ducked her head with shame, though she was comforted as a black tom moved to press himself against her, gently licking between her ears. It was only then that Cherryfall noticed that the RiverClan deputy was missing from his spot below the Great Oak.

"Reedwhisker? Of all cats, I never thought Reedwhisker would do something like that. He seemed like a good cat," she heard a ShadowClan warrior whisper, though not very quietly.

Cherryfall turned to Thornclaw, "Do you think they're mates?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it," the tom meowed, "She's too young for him. Plus, she was his apprentice. But I can't imagine Reedwhisker taking advantage like that…"

"Then why..?" Cherryfall began to ask, but Sandstorm nudged her with a sharp 'hush'.

Mistystar had ended her report, and Onestar had risen to his paws. He looked worn out, and it was the first time that Cherryfall saw how old the tom really was. The gray around his muzzle seemed to be more apparent than usual, and he looked as though he needed to share tongues desperately.

The tabby leader began his report, "WindClan must report its own losses. Both Sedgewhisker and her kit, Fernkit, have joined StarClan's ranks."

An even darker mood settled over the cats in the clearing after this was said. Cherryfall asked Thornclaw, "Didn't Emberfoot say that they only have two she-cats left?"

"Healthy she-cats, yes," Thornclaw confirmed, though he didn't look at her. His eyes were fixed on the tom in question. As Cherryfall followed his gaze, she saw that Emberfoot had distanced himself from his clanmates, not reacting to any words of sympathy that were given to him.

Quietly, she asked, "Were they..?"

Thornclaw nodded solemnly. Emberfoot had lost his family, and his hanging head and grief-filled eyes showed just how broken he was. With a spike of anger, Cherryfall wondered why Onestar would make him come to the Gathering, rather than let him grieve in camp.

Onestar ended his report with a lash of his tail as he growled, "That is all."

Rowanstar went on to announce that Dawnpelt had delivered her and Crowfrost's second litter of kits. She'd had one tom and one she-kit, named Adderkit and Larchkit. Congratulations were given, but anyone could tell that they were half-hearted. After three deaths and a too-young queen, Cherryfall couldn't blame anyone for not feeling joyous. Even the father of the kits, Crowfrost, didn't appear very enthusiastic. Though his eyes glowed with pride, his tail was twitching with anxiety. Seeing this, Cherryfall couldn't help but wonder if Dawnpelt and her daughter were as healthy as Rowanstar made them sound.

If there were any new cases of illness in ShadowClan, the ginger leader did not mention them. Instead, he ended his report and settled on his branch once more. Finally, Bramblestar stood up.

"Firstly, I'm proud to say that ThunderClan has named two new apprentices: Sorrelpaw and Fernpaw," the large tabby announced. His words were met with chants of the young apprentices' names. Cherryfall watched as Fernpaw raised his head, his amber eyes glowing. Though his sister hadn't made it to the Gathering, the young tabby seemed to have enough pride for the both of them.

"ThunderClan is grateful to have no ill news to report," Bramblestar continued, "However, I do have something important to tell you all."

Cherryfall perked her ears. Something important? As several cats from the other clans glanced at the ThunderClanners, Cherryfall felt her tail twitch anxiously. She certainly hadn't heard about anything important from Bramblestar. He'd obviously been waiting until all the clans were gathered before delivering his message. Whatever it was.

"Our medicine cat has received a message from StarClan," Bramblestar announced, earning an instant barrage of chatter among the cats below him, "And we have reason to believe that it may have to do with a solution to our plight."

Cherryfall's eyes widened. She thought of her mother, lying in the medicine den, mewling like a helpless kit and unable to keep food in her belly for more than a night. She thought of Ambermoon, having to lean on Cloudtail or one her brothers in order to do something as simple as making dirt. She thought of Daisy, who'd been yowling and writhing from the pain in her belly, being guarded by a surprisingly dedicated Spiderleg. Could StarClan really have found a way to end all that suffering?

The clearing gradually fell silent as Bramblestar called for quiet. The large tom continued, "Jayfeather had a dream of several strange cats, one of whom had knowledge of herbs. We think that this cat may be able to help."

"Though I am not against a new hope," Mistystar croaked, "I have to ask: If StarClan had a message so important, why didn't Willowshine have a similar dream?"

"Yes, Littlecloud hasn't reported any such dreams to me either," Rowanstar meowed, his tail gesturing to the small tabby just below him.

Onestar's eyes narrowed, "Nor has Kestrelflight."

Before Bramblestar could reply, Jayfeather snapped, "Is that all that matters to you? Who got the message? In case you forgot, I'm one of the Three, and I was born to help _all_ the Clans. Does that make it easier to understand?"

"He isn't wrong", a RiverClan elder rasped, gaining the murmuring agreement of his clanmates, as well as those from the other clans.

To Cherryfall's surprise, she saw Willowshine stand beside Jayfeather. With her green eyes shining, she mewed, "Though I may not be good friends with Jayfeather, I can say this; Mothwing trusted him greatly, and I trusted her. Because of that, I know he can't be lying."

"That's true," Kestrelflight meowed, "I can't remember a time when Jayfeather lied to anyone. He's honest. Maybe a little too honest, but honest nonetheless."

Bramblestar blinked at the medicine cats, apparently pleased by their support, and turned to the other leaders, "Well?"

"What are you proposing?" Onestar asked, raising his head after giving Kestrelflight a look.

"I say we send out a group to search for the cats in Jayfeather's dream," Bramblestar stated.

The other leaders glanced at each other, as if coming to a decision together. Finally, Mistystar meowed, "Alright. RiverClan will send one cat to join the search."

Rowanstar nodded in agreement, "ShadowClan will give our warriors for support. Your cats might need it."

The three leaders turned to Onestar. The tabby tom's tail twitched as he thought, his eyes focused on his small group of cats. Cherryfall saw that the WindClan toms were whispering among one another.

"Do you know what you're asking?" Onestar meowed, a growl leaking into his voice. His eyes narrowed at Bramblestar, "You're asking for me to send one of my warriors away for StarClan knows how long. On a journey that could very well end in death. In case you've forgotten, not every clan is flourishing like yours!"

Bramblestar spoke calmly, "Yes, I know. But this could be our only—"

A growl came from the group of WindClan cats. The gray tom Cherryfall had seen before stood up. With his eyes gleaming, he hissed, "Yes! Why is it that ThunderClan is prospering while WindClan crumbles?"

"Hootwhisker's right! They're flaunting it," a black tom, Breezepelt growled, "I know you've all noticed. They brought four she-cats to the Gathering!"

Cherryfall shrank away as she felt dozens of eyes turn on her and her clanmates. She jumped when she felt something press against her. Looking up, she saw that Thornclaw and Sandstorm were pushing her behind them. Confused, she asked, "What are you doing?"

Sandstorm replied, "This might get ugly, Cherryfall. Do you remember what happened three Gatherings ago? With Snowbird?"

She did. Snowbush had told her all about how a fight had broken out during the Gathering, and a frustrated RiverClan tom had jumped on the ShadowClan queen. He'd been pulled off of her before anything detrimental could happen, but it'd been shocking to say the least. Was Sandstorm implying that something similar was about to happen?

Cherryfall growled. Like she'd ever let any of her clanmates be harmed in such a way. She'd fight them all if she had to. From behind her, she could hear Ivypool growling what she was already thinking, and Lilyheart was hissing something at a ShadowClan tom.

"Look! Look at the sky!" Lionblaze called out, standing up in a panic, "The clouds are gathering! StarClan wants this to stop!"

When a few cats failed to listen, Rowanstar angrily yowled, "Quiet! Stop right now! Are you all mouse-brained?"

This seemed to finally snap the last few cats out of their angered states. One ShadowClan cat seemed especially ashamed, lowering his head and muttering to his cream-and-gray companion.

Onestar didn't seem dissuaded. With a growl, he announced, "WindClan has had enough. The Gathering is over."

With that, the senior cat leapt from his branch and began to lead his cats away. Cherryfall saw Breezepelt cast a glare in ThunderClan's direction, a look that she gladly returned. He noticed and hissed something under his breath before joining his clanmates. Cherryfall watched him go, trying to fight the sympathy in her heart. Yes, his clan was suffering, but it gave him no excuse to slander her Clan. No excuse at all.

As the last of the WindClan cats disappeared through the bushes, Cherryfall noticed that the other leaders made no move to leave. Instead, Mistystar turned to Bramblestar and spoke to him. However, her voice was quiet, and it seemed that only the two other leaders could hear her. Cherryfall perked her ears hopefully, but heard nothing. After a few moments, the three seemed to agree on something.

Mistystar waved her tail for her cats to disperse. Shakily, she made her way down the tree, leaning on a gray tom once her paws met the ground. Cherryfall lost sight of the elderly leader as her clanmates followed her away.

Soon, Cherryfall was walking towards the tree-bridge alongside her clanmates. She turned to Ivypool, who had come to her side, "What do you think?"

"About what? The journey, or Onestar being a fool?" the silver-and-white cat asked, her tail lashing as the last word left her mouth.

"Both, I guess."

Ivypool sighed, jumping onto the tree-bridge, "This journey to _wherever_ is probably our only hope at this point. I don't know about you, but I don't think we can take this much longer. As for Onestar, that cat has bees on his brain if he thinks sparing one cat will be the end of his Clan."

"Think he'll change his mind?" Cherryfall asked, padding carefully along the bark of the tree.

"If he does, I'll eat a fish," Ivypool replied, showing just how much she doubted Onestar deciding to participate in the mission.

As Cherryfall reached the end of the tree-bridge and jumped onto land, she looked out onto WindClan's territory. It somehow seemed even emptier at night. Maybe her mind was tricking her, but she swore she could smell illness on the breeze that came from the moor.

She looked away, responding to Ivypool, "I think Perchwing said that trout tastes the best. I'll catch it for you."

Ivypool laughed.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Well, that took forever and a half. I'm glad it's done, and I hope you guys liked it. Feel free to drop a review, since they really are my driving force to continue updating. Seriously, the only reason I finished this chapter was because I kept looking at you guys' reviews. With that said, I'm really grateful for the reviews you have written. Thank you.**

 **And yes, the allegiances have been updated.**

 **Fact:** **According to Kate Cary, Spiderleg never stopped loving Daisy.**

 **Later, my lovelies~**

 **\- Tina**


	6. Chapter 4: Time of Leaving

**Chapter 4: Time of Leaving**

Cherryfall's paws were itching.

The previous night, Bramblestar had gathered the clan in order to sort out who would be going on the journey. He'd tried asking around, but those he questioned ended up declining. Cloudtail couldn't bear to leave Ambermoon, worried about what would happen in his absence. Brackenfur needed to stay and mentor Sorrelpaw, feeling that she'd only be safe with him. Sandstorm was willing, but Graystripe had informed her that she wasn't as young as she thought she was.

Before she'd even thought about it, Cherryfall had jumped to her paws and volunteered. Bramblestar had seemed pleased, but there was worry in his eyes that Cherryfall couldn't ignore. Immediately after she volunteered, Jayfeather stated that Bumblestripe should go as well. He'd explained that the tabby knew of several herbs, since he'd been insistent on helping with the sick cats. Part of Cherryfall wondered if Jayfeather just wanted to get Bumblestripe out of his fur for a while.

Nonetheless, the matter of who was going had been settled. Cherryfall now paced impatiently near the entrance to the camp. It was barely the break of dawn, with the sky gray with twilight. Light from the rising sun was just barely breaking through the mist that filled the forest. Cherryfall felt the dew-covered grass wetting her paws.

She was waiting for her two intended companions. It had been decided that Thornclaw would join her and Bumblestripe, since the senior warrior was one of the few available cats who'd been to the mountains, which Jayfeather claimed to have seen in his dream.

"Cherryfall," the voice of her brother caused her to stop pacing.

Cherryfall took in her brother's appearance, noticing the worry in his eyes. Cautiously, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Well, aside from you being about to embark on a quest that will take who-knows-how-long, a lot," Molewhisker replied, his ear twitching as he revealed how anxious he really was.

"StarClan's kits, Molewhisker," Cherryfall chided, "You sound more like Jayfeather with every day that passes."

The large tom chuckled before his gaze hardened, "Seriously, Cherryfall, are you sure you want to do this? I doubt the other clans are sending she-cats."

"Don't you think Bramblestar already mentioned that?" Cherryfall questioned, "Molewhisker, this is very likely our last hope to beat blackcough. Can you honestly tell me that I should just _sit back_ and wait for more of my clanmates to die?"

"What? No, Cherryfall, I'm just saying…" Molewhisker paused, sighing, "Listen, you know how bad it's been with Poppyfrost—"

"No, I don't. Berrynose won't let me anywhere near her," Cherryfall meowed bitterly.

She'd tried visiting Poppyfrost upon getting back from the Gathering, but Berrynose had stopped her, blocking the entrance to the medicine den. Cherryfall had been shocked by her father's appearance. Clearly, three days doing nothing but sitting at Poppyfrost's side had affected him greatly. From the time she was a kit, Cherryfall had always seen her father proud, confident, and immaculately groomed. But as he halted her, all she saw was a haggard tom with eyes filled with fear and sorrow. His voice had been hollow as he'd told her, _"Don't. You'll catch it."_

Molewhisker looked away, "Well, I checked on her last night. She wouldn't have recognized you anyways. She thinks everyone is Honeyfern."

Cherryfall remembered how her mother had talked about Honeyfern. She'd been Poppyfrost's littermate, and Berrynose's first love. She mewed softly, "Oh…"

The littermates stood in silence for a moment. Cherryfall couldn't ignore the thought in the back of her mind. It was entirely possible that, if she did leave, her mother would die in her absence. The idea of losing Poppyfrost made her heart ache horribly, and for a moment, she wished that she was a kit again, curled safely against her mother's warm belly.

But then, Cherryfall thought of the others. Thornclaw had no mate, but he clearly wanted to look out for his clanmates as much as possible. More than once, the older tom had clambered over her late in the night, being the last warrior to curl in his nest after a long night of hunting. Bumblestripe had lost his mother and one of his sisters, and would be unaware of his remaining sister's health while he was gone. While Graystripe had stayed beside the two she-cats, Bumblestripe and Blossomfall had run back and forth, fetching food, water, and materials for their kin's nests. Both of her to-be-companions were suffering, just like everyone else.

Cherryfall lifted her head, her eyes glittering with determination, "I'm going, Molewhisker. It's all I can do."

"I know," Molewhisker replied. Her brother moved forward, resting his chin on Cherryfall's shoulder. In response, she pressed her cheek to his. The tom repeated, "I know."

The sound of approaching pawsteps drew them apart. Thornclaw and Bumblestripe were finally coming to join Cherryfall.

Molewhisker gave Cherryfall one last, long look. It was as if he were trying to memorize her appearance. Seeing an opportunity, Cherryfall teased, "Oh, are you going to miss me?"

"Only if you miss me."

"I'll think of your snoring every night."

As Bumblestripe and Thornclaw reached them, the former asked, "What's going on over here?"

"I'm just telling Molewhisker how much I'll miss his snoring," Cherryfall meowed, gazing at her brother warmly.

Bumblestripe cocked his head, "Miss it? It sounds like a badger with a cough."

Molewhisker narrowed his eyes at the tabby, and for a moment, Cherryfall worried that he'd rake him. Instead, her brother simply huffed and turned to Cherryfall. With one last loving swipe over her ears with his tail, he mewed, "Stay safe, furball."

Cherryfall had a warm feeling in her heart as she watched her brother trot away. She turned to Thornclaw and Bumblestripe, "Ready to go?"

"Not just yet," Thornclaw meowed, "Bramblestar said he wants to join us, but only as far as the island. Smart choice, since I'm betting Rowanstar and Mistystar will be there as well."

"Didn't Cloudtail mention meeting a WindClan patrol while he was hunting? They didn't say anything about Onestar changing his mind, did they?" Bumblestripe asked, lifting a forepaw to give it a few licks.

Thornclaw shook his head, "No, but he complained plenty about them hurling insults. Typical."

The three cats perked as they noticed Bramblestar padding up to them. The leader seemed apprehensive, so much so that Cherryfall wondered if he'd call off the whole thing.

 _He wouldn't,_ she thought to herself, _He's the one who proposed the quest, after all._

"Have you all eaten?" Bramblestar asked, looking over each cat.

Cherryfall and Thornclaw nodded, but Bumblestripe shook his head. The tabby mewed, "No. Too excited, I guess."

"But you've all had the travelling herbs?" their leader pressed. Clearly, he wanted to be sure that they were absolutely prepared.

This time, all three gave the affirmative. Cherryfall licked the inside of her mouth, still tasting the bitterness of the herbs. Jayfeather, of course, had showed no sympathy for her distaste of the herbs, simply telling her to be happy he'd had some to spare. Cherryfall supposed that, with how many herbs the tom was using for his patients, he was right.

"Alright then," Bramblestar meowed, seeming satisfied, "The Sun's just about up now. We should get going if we don't want—"

"Wait!"

The four cats turned as they saw Mousewhisker rushing towards them. The tom spoke to Bramblestar, "Please, let me go too."

Bramblestar looked surprised, "Why didn't you speak up last night?"

"I wasn't sure at the time," Mousewhisker admitted, his ears falling flat, "But I'm certain now. Bramblestar, I can't stay here. Berrynose is falling apart, and Daisy looks worse with every day that passes. Ambermoon can't even lift her head for a drink of water...I can't just stay here and do nothing!"

Cherryfall's heart ached for her uncle. Silently, she begged Bramblestar to let him come on the journey. The tabby leader seemed to consider Mousewhisker's pleas, his eyes sweeping over the tom. He asked, "Does Blossomfall know about this?"

"Yes," Mousewhisker replied, his paws shifting, "She's not happy, but she understands."

Bramblestar nodded and turned to Thornclaw, "What do you think?"

"I don't think it will affect anything," Thornclaw meowed, seeming surprised that Bramblestar had asked for his opinion, "Why not?"

Mousewhisker visibly brightened up, hope flooding his green eyes and his posture straightening. Bramblestar nodded to him, "Alright. Go and ask Jayfeather for some travelling herbs. You'll need them."

It seemed almost too soon when Cherryfall hopped onto the tree-bridge, feeling the bark beneath her paws, still wet with morning dew. She had to extend her claws in order to keep a grip on the spongy bark as she moved across the bridge.

"Geez," she heard Bumblestripe mew, "Thank StarClan it's not leaf-bare. We'd be clinging to ice."

"Remember that one time?" Mousewhisker asked, "I think it was two greenleafs ago, when that ShadowClan apprentice slipped and fell in? It was a good thing he was already close to the shore."

Cherryfall did remember. She hadn't been too far behind the black tom when he lost his balance. There'd been a moment of panic, but it was soon apparent that he'd fallen only a tail's length from the rocky shore of the island, and he was able to pull himself out of the water with ease. Cherryfall had to stifle her laughter as she remembered Molewhisker saying he looked like "a rat caught in a rainstorm".

The cats hopped off the tree once they reached the island, and Cherryfall's ears pricked forward as she heard voices. As she moved forward with her clanmates, the voices became clearer until she could make them out. Around the same time, she caught sight of the cats from the other clans. Just like Thornclaw had guessed, the Rowanstar and Mistystar were there. But that wasn't what caught Cherryfall's attention. Onestar was there, too.

"I see you took your time, Bramblestar," the WindClan leader hissed, his eyes narrowed. His eyes shifted to Cherryfall, and she felt the fur on the back of her neck rise, "And you've brought a she-cat? Audacious as always."

Cherryfall was ready to growl something at the leader, but the words left her as Bramblestar replied, "I wasn't aware that she-cats were forbidden."

Neither Onestar nor his chosen warrior, Breezepelt, seemed to like that. But Cherryfall felt a sense of pride in her leader, her tail curling happily. She took a moment to take in the other warriors present.

Breezepelt's tail was flicking with agitation, though the warrior was known for his bad mood. Beside Mistystar was a large, gray-and-black tom. Cherryfall couldn't remember his name, but he was clearly itching to get on with the mission. Rowanstar had brought two cats, Tigerheart and a tabby she recognized as an apprentice, Strikepaw. Cherryfall blinked in surprise.

The young cat caught her clanmates' attention as well. Bramblestar asked, "An apprentice?"

"Almost a warrior," Strikepaw mewed, sounding proud.

Rowanstar gave the tom a look. Though he didn't look too happy about the situation himself, he meowed, "He's fine."

"I assume your cats are ready? Already had their herbs?" Mistystar asked, ready to get to business.

Bramblestar nodded, "All set. Thornclaw will be leading."

That set the other cats off. Rowanstar's tail lashed and the RiverClan tom sat up straighter, his eyes narrowed. Breezepelt growled, "Who decided that?"

"Jayfeather," Thornclaw replied coolly, "He had the dream, and he told me where to go. So I lead."

For a moment, Cherryfall worried that Breezepelt would pounce on the warrior. Her claws dug into the ground. She was ready to defend her clanmate if needed. Fortunately, the WindClan leader had a moment of reason.

"Fine. Is that all?" Onestar asked, hushing his clanmate, "I have a clan to lead."

"Should be," Bramblestar mewed, turning to Thornclaw. Cherryfall got the impression that he was handing leadership over to him, and she was sure the others got the same feeling. She looked at him, too.

"Jayfeather said to leave as soon as possible," Thornclaw meowed, "So let's go."

A ripple of excitement flowed through Cherryfall.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: It's been a while, guys! But here we are with chapter four, and you'll soon have chapter five! Please remember to review, though. Feedback is extremely important to me, and is a great way to keep me motivated and writing.**

 **Fact:** **Kate Cary prefers Violetshine over Twigbranch.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	7. Chapter 5: Over the River

**Chapter 5: Over the River**

Passing through RiverClan's territory was been interesting. Though, Cherryfall didn't care for the ground, which was either sandy or moist. She got the desperate urge to rid her paws of the wet sand that stuck to them. Around her, she could tell that her companions felt the same way. Breezepelt wore a grimace on his face, and Mousewhisker was trotting ahead, likely hoping to leave the area faster. Only the RiverClan tom didn't seem bothered, walking calmly as they passed a beech tree.

Thornclaw made sure not to lead them through the camp, but that didn't stop a RiverClan patrol from meeting them just as they were exiting the trees.

"Hey! Heronwing! Wait!"

The group looked up to see a gray-and-white she-cat bounding towards them. Automatically, Cherryfall tensed, preparing for a fight. Her worries were unwarranted though, as she watched the RiverClan tom pad over to the she-cat.

"How did you know we'd be here?" the tom, apparently named Heronwing, questioned. The two cats brushed their cheeks against each other, purring. As they did this, the rest of the patrol caught up.

Briefly, Cherryfall wondered if they were mates. But the longer she looked at them, the more similarities she noticed. They both had broad heads, wide paws, and plumy tails. She blinked. They were kin.

"I didn't. Mallownose said he could smell the other Clans nearby," the she-cat replied. She pulled away, noticing the rest of the cats, "And he was right."

Mallownose, who Cherryfall recognized from the Gatherings, stepped forward, "You're cutting through our territory?"

His tone wasn't aggressive, but carried a sense of apprehension on it. With a shudder, Cherryfall realized that the third member of the patrol, a light-brown tom, was staring at her intently. His eyes narrowed when their gazes met, and Cherryfall immediately looked away, the fur on her neck bristling.

"Got a problem with it?" Breezepelt asked, stepping towards the patrol leader. He hissed when Thornclaw bumped him aside.

"Yes," Thornclaw meowed, gesturing with his tail, "We were told to cross the Twoleg bridge."

Mallownose accepted his words, nodding as he mewed, "Alright. We'll go with you as far as that."

Thornclaw's ear twitched, and Cherryfall shared his irritation. They hadn't asked for the RiverClan cats' assistance, but it was obvious that Mallownose wanted them off the territory as soon as possible. More than likely, it was a prey thing. Heronwing didn't look the least bit upset, purring as he stood close to Perchwing.

"We weren't going to hunt," Mousewhisker meowed, voicing Cherryfall's thoughts. Beside him, Bumblestripe's eyes were narrowed with displeasure.

"We know," Mallownose replied, saying it in a way that meant 'not with us around'. The tabby gave no further room for argument, padding away with a flick of his tail. Obediently, Perchwing and the brown tom followed, and Heronwing didn't hesitate to trail behind them.

Cherryfall glanced at Thornclaw. Unlike Heronwing, _she_ had enough respect to wait for his word. The senior warrior looked irate, glaring after the RiverClanners.

Tigerheart padded forward, appearing no happier than Cherryfall felt. He meowed, "We have to head that way anyways, don't we?"

Thornclaw passed him a warning glance, which the ShadowClan cat paid no mind to. Without reply, he stalked after the other cats, and Cherryfall was quick to keep pace with him. His legs were longer than hers, and she nearly had to trot to match his long strides. Thank StarClan Spiderleg hadn't been chosen to lead them. If he had, Cherryfall would be running to keep up with him.

She heard Strikepaw mutter behind them, "We could've told them off."

His mentor murmured something in reply, though it didn't reach Cherryfall's ears well enough that she could understand him.

They caught up quickly, finding the RiverClan cats waiting on the bridge. Cherryfall stared at the flowing water below. Sunlight glittered on its surface, and she could see small fish darting among the submerged stones. She couldn't imagine why any cat would want to eat one of the slimy-looking creatures, but RiverClan had always been strange.

Movement caught her eye, and she looked to see Strikepaw dabbing his paw into the water. The apprentice quickly removed it, his snout wrinkled with apparent regret. Tigerheart looked amused as he swiped his tail over Strikepaw's ears. Cherryfall had to stop the purr that rose in her throat at the sight. She stepped onto the bridge.

"You'll be careful, won't you?" Perchwing was asking Heronwing, head-butting him gently.

Heronwing purred, "Of course. When haven't I?"

Cherryfall took her attention away from them, feeling that it was more of a personal moment. She padded close to Bumblestripe as Thornclaw was speaking to Mallownose.

"Thanks," Thornclaw meowed through clenched teeth, "We'll be fine from now on."

If the other tom noticed, he didn't care as he replied, "I'm sure you will. Take care, and watch out for Twolegs. It's greenleaf, so there are tons of them around."

"Thanks," Thornclaw repeated, his tone a little sharper. The tabby clearly didn't want to hear anything more from the RiverClan cat.

Mallownose, seeming satisfied, waved his tail as he bounded off the bridge. Cherryfall watched as Perchwing gave Heronwing an affectionate lick on the ear before following the tom. Oddly though, the brown tom stayed, still staring directly at Cherryfall. Immediately, she was on edge again. She sensed the other cats around her tensing.

"Shouldn't you be going with them?" Mousewhisker asked in a confused tone.

The tom gave him a glare, "I wasn't aware that ThunderClan was letting a she-cat go on the journey."

"What's wrong with it?" Cherryfall growled. The tom had spoken as if she weren't even there. Or rather, like she wasn't worth speaking to. Irritation was tugging at her pelt like a burr.

Heronwing stepped up to the tom, "Lizardtail, you should go. Before Mallownose reports you for skipping out on a patrol."

Lizardtail looked as if he were going to snap something at his clanmate, but chose to hold his tongue. With one last glare, the brown cat turned and leaped off the bridge, trailing after the rest of the patrol.

"RiverClan's a real piece of work, isn't it?" Breezepelt sniffed, glaring at the retreating form of Lizardtail, "First Reedwhisker, and then _that_."

At that, Heronwing gave a low growl.

"Weren't you the one who almost started a battle at the Gathering?"Cherryfall questioned, irritated by Breezepelt hypocrisy. The black tom turned his harsh gaze onto her, and she met his eyes evenly, standing her ground.

Thornclaw snapped, "Alright, quit acting like a bunch of rogues. We have to go. Time is lives."

Cherryfall broke eye-contact with Breezepelt. Embarrassment filled her as she saw the rest of the group staring at her.

"Okay. Sorry," she mewed, giving her chest a lick to hide her shame.

"You should be. And you too," Thornclaw rebuked, giving Breezepelt a look. The tom narrowed his eyes before looking away.

"Now let's go."

* * *

The squirrel's squeak of terror was cut off as Molewhisker bit its neck. A tiny snap signified its death. He sniffed, satisfied. The stupid thing had practically run right into his paws.

"Well done!" Stormcloud panted. He appeared behind the tree root that the squirrel had scurried under, "I thought it was gone for sure!"

"Good thing it was so busy running that it didn't see me," Molewhisker replied, snatching up the squirrel. It was plump, obviously having eaten well.

Stormcloud purred, "Have you caught anything else? I can go get it."

Molewhisker nodded, unable to speak with the squirrel in his mouth. He'd caught a mouse and a starling. He gestured with his tail, motioning towards the tree where they were buried. The older cat quickly followed the direction, shoveling up soil with his paws.

"There you are," Molewhisker heard Sandstorm's voice before he saw her. The she-cat pushed her way through a clump of ferns, with Graystripe following close behind, "Are you two ready to head back?"

Stormcloud padded up, setting down the bird, "I'd think so. Molewhisker caught a mouse back there."

"Very good," Sandstorm meowed, sounding impressed as she took in the sight of the squirrel. The she-cat then stepped around them, quickly snatching up the small mouse.

Molewhisker was grateful for the rodent, biting down on it slightly as to hide his embarrassment. He wasn't used to getting praise; especially not from a senior warrior.

His attention was caught by Graystripe, who seemed to be trying to say something past the feathers of the pigeon he held.

"StarClan's kits," Sandstorm meowed, returning and setting the mouse down, "We can't understand you. Spit it out!"

Graystripe's eyes shined with amusement at his friend's tone before he dropped the pigeon. He spat out a couple feathers, "I was saying, that squirrel's fat enough to be a kittypet!"

"Or fat enough to be you," Sandstorm purred, snatching up the mouse again. She started walking and muffled out, "Come on!"

Molewhisker was quick to follow, hearing Stormcloud _mrrow_ with laughter as Graystripe muttered, "It's all fur."

They pushed their way through the thorn tunnel and back into camp, and Molewhisker nearly jumped back as Sorrelpaw ran up to him.

"Oh, perfect!" she mewed excitedly, "Blossomfall was asking for a squirrel! Do you think she can have that?"

He huffed, passing the squirrel over to the young she-cat. It was nearly as big as her, and watching her struggle to take it was almost comical. Molewhisker felt his whiskers twitching in amusement, though his own jaw ached from carrying the prey. He was about to ask if she needed help when Brackenfur approached.

"That looks heavy. Let me," Brackenfur meowed, taking the squirrel from his apprentice.

"Thanks, Brackenfur!" Sorrelpaw chirped, turning to lead the way to the nursery, her tail high and a bounce in her step.

Brackenfur purred, following his apprentice. It would have been innocent, had the golden-brown cat not given Molewhisker a warning look before trotting away.

 _What did_ I _do?_ Molewhisker wondered, confused over the tom's suspicion.

"She's sure taken to her duties, hasn't she?" Sandstorm mewed fondly, coming to stand beside him. She'd already dropped the mouse on the fresh-kill pile.

"Yeah. She has," Molewhisker replied with a nod. He was still pondering over Brackenfur's behavior. It was almost as if he wanted Sorrelpaw away from him as soon as possible…

Molewhisker frowned. He wasn't stupid, and the dots immediately connected in his head. He looked towards the nursery, which Sorrelpaw and Brackenfur and disappeared into. As if he'd ever try something with the young apprentice. She was only six moons old, for StarClan's sake! But as he looked around, he grew concerned.

Ivypool and Lilyheart were sharing a robin. Though they seemed relaxed at first glance, but closer inspection brought signs of tension to light. Ivypool's tail was flicking, and her eyes were dark with irritation. The fur along Lilyheart's back was standing slightly, showing her nervousness. Nearby, Dewnose and Snowbush appeared to be sharing tongues, but their eyes were glued to the two she-cats.

Across camp, Fernpaw was demonstrating his hunting crouch for his parents. Lionblaze appeared to be giving him advice while Cinderheart watched fondly. The gray tabby didn't seem aware of Birchfall's hungry gaze.

The sound of coughing came from the medicine den.

"Sandstorm," Molewhisker began, hiding his disgust as he turned to the she-cat, "How long do you think they'll take?"

"You mean the mission?" Sandstorm asked. She didn't wait for an answer as she continued, "I don't know. It took Bramblestar and Squirrelflight moons to travel to the mountains and get back to the Old Forest."

Molewhisker hummed, his ears lying flat in displeasure. His sister could very well be gone for moons then. He glanced around the hollow once more, and shook his head as he saw Spiderleg coming out of the medicine den. The long-legged tom sat down and began furiously cleaning himself. There was what looked like vomit on his side, and his lip was curled with distaste as he ran his tongue through it. Daisy must have done that.

At least the vomit wasn't black. That was one of the last symptoms before death.

Sandstorm was watching the tom as well. She sighed and meowed, "I'm sure they'll find it. The cure, I mean."

"Yeah," Molewhisker agreed, though part of him felt like he was lying.

More coughing came from the medicine den.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: It took forever-and-a-half, but the newest chapter is here! I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

 **Yes, we'll be working with two POVs in this story. One chapter will focus on Cherryfall, and the next will be on Molewhisker, and so forth. That way, we can see what's going on with the journeying cats and in the Clans.**

 **Now, I will be gone starting on Thursday, and I will not be back until next Sunday or Monday. So, unfortunately, you can't expect any updates in that time.**

 **However, I can happily say that** _ **"Aftershock"**_ **, a new story, has begun and already has its first chapter up. It's about an earthquake hitting the Clans and what they do afterwards. If that sounds interesting to you, I suggest heading over!**

 **As always, please remember to review! I'm motivated solely by feedback, and the more reviews I get means the more I write! And of course, here is your fun-fact:**

 **Fun-Fact:** **The upcoming novella compilation,** _ **"The Path of a Warrior"**_ **will focus on Tawnypelt, Redtail, and Shadowstar.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	8. Chapter 6: And Through the Woods

**Chapter 6: And Through the Woods**

Cherryfall's eyes fluttered open.

At first, she was confused. She wasn't in the warrior's den, and she couldn't hear Molewhisker's usual snoring. All too quickly, the situation came rushing back to her. She'd left the Clans along with six other cats, sent on a mission to find the cure for blackcough.

The cats had walked until sunset, when Thornclaw had finally agreed that they should rest. Said golden warrior was curled up beside her, breathing softly as he continued to sleep. Mousewhisker and Bumblestripe were close by, the former's head resting on the tabby warrior's back.

Cherryfall gazed around the area where they'd settled. Tigerheart and Strikepaw were sleeping beneath a clump of bracken. The apprentice's forepaw twitched and he growled softly. He was probably dreaming about hunting or fighting.

Breezepelt was barely visible in the early dawn light. The black tom was curled in the shadows of a shrub. The tip of his tail flicked in his sleep, causing a yellow dandelion to bend under the weight.

Cherryfall wasn't too surprised that they'd all stuck to their own clanmates. They weren't used to each other. Still, she felt a strike of pity for the WindClan tom. Sleeping alone made a cat feel vulnerable, and not to mention cold. Greenleaf had only just begun to give in to leaf-fall, but the morning air already had a chill to it. If she strained her eyes, she could see that Breezepelt was shivering.

She looked for Heronwing, knowing that the RiverClan cat was likely in the same situation. A small part of her said that he deserved it. Yesterday, the tom had been all too happy to ignore Thornclaw in favor of his clanmate. But as she scanned her surroundings, Cherryfall realized Heronwing was nowhere to be seen.

 _Is he already awake?_ she wondered, prickling with annoyance. First he disrespects her clanmate, and then he wanders off before dawn had fully broken? Heronwing was going to be a burr in her pelt throughout this journey. Perhaps even more so than the aggressive Breezepelt.

Cherryfall huffed as she stood, careful not to wake her clanmates. The sun had yet to fully rise, and she figured they could use the rest. As for her, she was going to find out where Heronwing had gone.

She padded through the dense undergrowth, parting her jaws to taste the air. The scent of RiverClan was there, standing out from the rich aroma of the forest. Her mouth watered as she caught the scent of prey. Cherryfall continued on, making a mental note to catch one of the many birds that were chirping high in the trees.

Her ears perked as she heard a distant bubbling. It almost sounded like the stream from back home.

"Where there's water, there's a RiverClan cat," she mumbled to herself, turning towards the sound.

Pushing through some honeysuckle, she was pleased to find that she was correct. A stream was there, though it was much slower and a bit smaller than the one in ThunderClan. Lo and behold, Heronwing was seated at the bank, his tail swishing over the gray stones. The dark tom looked concentrated, his eyes and ears pointed towards the water. He hadn't heard Cherryfall approaching.

Curiosity peaked inside Cherryfall. She was fairly certain he was hunting, and she'd never seen anyone catch a fish before.

Just as she thought that, the tom's paw darted out, dipping into the flowing water and scooping out a fish. Heronwing plopped it on the stones beside him, killing the fish with a swift bite. This was all done in two heartbeats.

Without thinking, Cherryfall mewed, "Good catch."

Heronwing jumped, whirling to face her, eyes wide and pelt bristling. Upon realizing who she was, the tom relaxed, though his blue eyes still gleamed uneasily.

"Thanks," Heronwing meowed. He sat down, giving his chest a lick before commenting, "Lovely morning isn't it?"

"It's great," Cherryfall replied curtly. She was still irritated that the tom had left the group without saying a word. She padded towards him, "I just wish you'd told someone you were going hunting."

Heronwing's eyes narrowed, "I didn't realize I needed permission. Do all ThunderClan cats have to ask before doing something?"

"No, but we know how to communicate," Cherryfall meowed. She hadn't come with the intention of arguing with the tom. But she wasn't going to take an insult to her Clan lying down.

"More like how to boss others around," the dark cat sniffed, "But that's what ThunderClan is known for, isn't it?"

That was the last straw. Cherryfall rushed forward, lashing out at the tom. But before her paw could meet his cheek, Heronwing jumped to the side. Cherryfall, surprised by his speed, didn't have time to correct herself. She lost her balance, letting out a terrified screech as she fell into the stream.

The water was shockingly cold, surrounding and weighing her down. Cherryfall flailed helplessly, her heart pounding with panic. Everything around her was a blur of darkness. Terror flooded her being. Was she going to drown? Would she die only two days into the journey?

 _Dear StarClan, save me!_

Suddenly, her scruff was grabbed in a strong set of jaws, and she was being pulled up. She gasped, gratefully sucking in air. She was saved!

"Come on," Heronwing's voice reached her ears, "Stand up. The water isn't that deep."

Stand up? Shakily, Cherryfall worked her legs beneath her. Sure enough, she was able to stand with the water just reaching her underbelly. Hot embarrassment rushed in, and she felt her ears burn as she realized there was no way she could have drowned. She'd panicked for nothing!

Heronwing chuckled, "I have to say, I've never seen a cat thrash as much as you did. Even kits are braver during their first swim. Was it really that scar— _ow!_ "

The RiverClan warrior had been too slow to avoid her that time. Cherryfall felt warm satisfaction, having roughly swatted him with a soaked paw, claws sheathed. She sniffed, trying to gather her dignity as she trudged out of the stream, pulling herself up on the stones.

Once safely back on land, she shook out her pelt. It did little help though. She was still wet, and her fur now stuck out at odd angles. The breeze chilled her to the bone. How could RiverClan cats _like_ this?

Heronwing hopped out after her, having recovered from her revenge. The tom didn't even look bothered by his sopping legs and tail. He looked down at the stones and meowed, "You knocked my kill into the water."

"I don't give a mousetail," Cherryfall hissed. She started to pad away, her tail lashing. She didn't want to be around Heronwing for another heartbeat. How in Silverpelt was she supposed to continue on an entire mission with him?

Just then, Mousewhisker came barreling out of the undergrowth. His pelt bristled as he caught sight of Cherryfall, soaked to the bone.

Stalking between the two cats, he glared at Heronwing and hissed, "What happened? What did you do?"

Cherryfall huffed. The last thing she wanted right now was for Mousewhisker to protect her. Heronwing looked annoyed, and she could see the tom's tail starting to lash. Just as he was about to answer, Thornclaw padded from where Mousewhisker had emerged.

"What's going on here?" Thornclaw asked, scanning the scene with narrowed eyes.

"I fell in the stream," she mumbled, not giving Heronwing or Mousewhisker the chance to speak. Anything they said could very well make the situation worse, especially since her clanmate looked ready to shred Heronwing's pelt.

Thornclaw didn't look amused, "And what were you doing so close to the water?"

At that, the tabby shifted his gaze to Heronwing, his eyes glinting with distrust. Cherryfall wasn't the only one who remembered the RiverClan cat's disrespect yesterday.

To his credit, Heronwing didn't back down under the warriors' harsh gazes. He mewed simply, "She tried to catch a fish and fell in. I _tried_ to tell her not to lean so far forward, but…"

Now it was Cherryfall's turn to glare. That wasn't what had happened at all! But she couldn't deny that Heronwing's lie was better than what had actually taken place. As much as Thornclaw didn't like the tom, Cherryfall was sure he wouldn't be pleased that she'd tried to attack him.

"Is that true?" Thornclaw asked, his tail flicking in annoyance.

Cherryfall looked down at her paws. Despite the lie, she still felt hot shame flow over her. She felt like an apprentice who'd been caught misbehaving. She answered, "Yes. I…I thought it looked fun."

Mousewhisker's pelt laid flat at her statement. Since Heronwing hadn't attacked her, Cherryfall supposed he felt no reason to flay him anymore. Still, his ears were flat with dislike.

Thornclaw sniffed, unimpressed, "Well remember this next time you want to have 'fun'. Come on, all of you. The others are waiting."

Cherryfall followed her clanmates as they led the way. Irritably, she felt soil and pine needles clinging to her wet paws. Hopefully the debris would fall away once she started to dry off. Through the corner of her eye, she saw Heronwing pad to her side. He seemed like he wanted to talk, but Cherryfall was in no mood for it. She sped up, trotting until she matched Mousewhisker's pace.

"There you are!" Bumblestripe exclaimed upon seeing them, jumping to his paws. He caught sight of Cherryfall and gave her a questioning look.

Cherryfall flicked her tail, signaling that she didn't want to talk. She looked over her groupmates, and was surprised when she noticed that Breezepelt was gone.

As if he'd caught on to her thoughts, Bumblestripe explained, "Breezepelt got tired of waiting and went hunting."

"We need to start moving again," Thornclaw growled, clearly displeased with the WindClan cat's impatience.

Strikepaw spoke up, "Can't we hunt though? I'm starving!"

"We haven't eaten since sundown yesterday," Tigerheart added, though he gave his apprentice a disapproving glance. He continued, "And Breezepelt is already gone, so we might as well."

Thornclaw glared at the tabby for several heartbeats. Finally, he gave in, "Fine. We'll all meet back here. If anyone finds Breezepelt, tell him."

Tigerheart nodded before standing, waving his tail for Strikepaw to follow as they went in search of prey. Bumblestripe and Mousewhisker took the permission as well, disappearing behind a spiny shrub.

Not wanting to be stuck with Heronwing, Cherryfall bounded after Thornclaw. Her belly growled at the thought of food.

Hopefully, getting something in her stomach would be the start of things getting better for the day.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: This took a while to write, but I am so happy that it's finally done! Next chapter, we see how the Clans are doing in the first couple of days of the mission.**

 **As always, please review. Feedback motivates me to keep writing! In addition to that, I'd love it if you guys could vote on the poll on my profile. It only takes a couple of minutes, and it's just to help me decide on what to write next! Thanks so much!**

 **Of course, here is your fun-fact.**

 **Fact:** **Tigerstar (AVoS) is the first known cat to be resurrected by StarClan. This was done so he could revive ShadowClan.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	9. Chapter 7: The World Keeps Spinning

**Chapter 7: The World Keeps Spinning**

He didn't want to do this.

Molewhisker had just returned from a long patrol with only Snowbush, Dewnose, and Fernpaw for company. The young apprentice had been tolerable, straying just once or twice while otherwise obediently following his elders. But the two brothers had gotten on every one of Molewhisker's nerves. All they seemed capable of talking about was the current crisis.

" _Do you think they'll really find a cure for blackcough?" Snowbush had asked, trotting close to his littermate._

" _I hope so. Things are only getting worse," Dewnose had replied._

" _You could say that again. But hey, did you notice? Lionblaze and Cinderheart have been a little distant lately. Think they're gonna break up?"_

 _They had either not noticed or completely ignored Fernpaw's gasp._

" _I don't know, maybe. Why? You think you'd have a shot with Cinderheart?"_

" _I'm not saying I wouldn't. She's pr—"_

He had shoved passed the two toms after that. Molewhisker didn't want to listen to them for one more moment. Upon getting back from the awful patrol, he'd hoped to simply eat and catch some sleep before he had to guard camp that night.

But then Birchfall had come up to him, asking that he take some prey to Daisy. Apparently, Lionblaze had called him for a hunting patrol and Jayfeather would be irate if the prey never came.

Molewhisker wrinkled his nose.

He'd hoped that the pungent rank of the medicine den would be blocked by the prey he carried. But of course, the sour scent swept through the feathers that covered his nose. It was sharp and utterly disgusting. He felt his stomach turn in revulsion.

Quickly, he dropped the thrush at Daisy's paws.

"Oh, thank you," the sick cat croaked, snagging the bird with a small paw and dragging it closer.

Molewhisker nodded, keeping his mouth shut. Opening his mouth would mean letting the stench of the den reach his tongue. From the corner of his eye, he saw Poppyfrost sleeping. His mother looked tiny, far too thin from sickness and lack of appetite. It was obvious that Berrynose had groomed her recently. Her shiny pelt did not match her skinny, harsh-breathing form.

"I thought I sent Birchfall for food," Jayfeather's murmur snapped Molewhisker's attention from Poppyfrost. The medicine cat's blind gaze was tired, yet unmistakably irked.

He narrowing his eyes, "I never took you for an idiot. How did he get you to do his work?"

Molewhisker suppressed the urge to thank him. Seeing his mother made his heart ache in a way that never seemed to stop.

"He didn't. Lionblaze called him for a patrol," Molewhisker replied. The stench of the den, combined with the sound of his mother's ragged breathing, was making his head dizzy. He needed to get out. Dipping his head, he mewed, "I'll go now."

But before he could bolt outside to safety, Ambermoon spoke up from her nest.

"Wait! Do you think I could join you?" the sick she-cat asked.

Molewhisker turned, surprised. He hadn't even noticed the ginger cat's presence. She was sitting up in her mossy nest. Her amber eyes, though tired, were hopeful and bright.

He paused, torn between leaving the den and considering the she-cat's request. It didn't seem like much. He was ready to just say yes and tear out of the den when Jayfeather interrupted.

"No," the tabby meowed, "You didn't get any sleep last night. You need to rest."

Ambermoon sniffed, unwavered, "How can any cat sleep with all this coughing and mewling? I just want a walk, that's all. I'll be right back. Promise."

Molewhisker frowned. If Jayfeather was right and the she-cat hadn't been sleeping, then she needed to stay in the den. How could Ambermoon expect to keep from weakening without sleep? Besides, he didn't want to be responsible if she somehow worsened. No, he didn't think he could handle that.

A tiny voice whispered to Molewhisker, ' _But you haven't gotten much sleep either, worrying about your kin.'_

He pushed the thought away. So he was a hypocrite. He wasn't the one dying.

"Let her go, Jayfeather," Daisy mewed from her nest. She licked a downy feather from her nose, looking slightly less weary, "Leafpool always said fresh air is one of the best medicines."

"Exactly!" Ambermoon chirped, clearly pleased with Daisy's support.

Jayfeather huffed, "And you think Molewhisker wants to play escort?"

"Oh, he doesn't mind," Ambermoon turned to Molewhisker with wide, golden eyes, "Right?"

Molewhisker couldn't help but stiffen as all eyes turned on him. He didn't like this—didn't like the mix of feelings that had him siding with both cats. StarClan, he was going to flay Birchfall later.

He met Ambermoon's gaze as he mewed, "Medicine cats know best."

Jayfeather's ears flattened as Ambermoon purred. In an instant, Molewhisker knew that they'd misunderstood his words. He'd been siding with Jayfeather, not his predecessor.

The sour scent of the medicine den seemed to be filling his brain at this point. The sound of Poppyfrost's rasping breaths were driving him mad. Ambermoon's hopeful eyes and Jayfeather's stubbornness weren't helping. He needed to get out. Now.

"See? So it's fine, right? It's settled," Ambermoon meowed to Jayfeather.

"We're only walking around camp. Then she comes back," Molewhisker reassured the medicine cat, whose ears were lying flat with displeasure.

Ambermoon purred in delight, eagerly getting to her paws. Molewhisker fought not to flinch as he saw her limbs shake. StarClan, his head was starting to ache.

"Ambermoon. You need to _rest_ ," Jayfeather hissed. His flicking tail disturbed a pile of leaves.

The ginger cat let out a sigh. Surprisingly, her voice came out gently, "I know. But I have plenty of time to sleep. Right now, I'm going on a walk. Look, I'll even eat, too."

Poppyfrost started to cough. Jayfeather turned to her instantly, eyes wide and the tiniest amount of fear-scent coming off of him. Daisy shuddered in her nest. The sound was loud, wheezing, and sounded like Poppyfrost's chest was being torn apart from the inside out.

Molewhisker turned. He didn't want to listen to it. Ambermoon would have to meet him outside.

He pushed passed the wall of brambles, taking a deep breath of clean air. The camp was remarkably normal. Sandstorm was sharing tongues with Cinderheart near the warriors' den. Cloudtail was chatting quietly with his sons, both of whom were sharing a squirrel. A light breeze drifted through the hollow, shifting the branches above. The sky was cloudy, though sunlight managed to pour through the cover and into the camp. Birds were singing in the distance.

He still heard Poppyfrost's coughing.

As he sat just outside the medicine den, Molewhisker didn't feel any better. He'd wanted to eat and sleep. Nothing more. He'd wanted to forget about Dewnose and Snowbush, blackcough, and the search for a cure all together. Just for a little while.

His eyes trailed a yellow butterfly, tiny and carefree, as it fluttered towards the honeysuckle that was the elders' den.

StarClan…the world was falling apart, and yet everything looked so _normal_.

"Wow, it's really nice out here!"

Molewhisker turned sharply, surprised by Ambermoon's sudden appearance. The ginger she-cat purred as she sniffed the air, giving a feeble stretch. Her limbs were still shaking with effort.

"What are you just sitting there for? Come on, I want to go see Blossomfall. Spiderleg says she's getting big, and I want to see her for myself," Ambermoon didn't wait for him as she hurried off. But for a sick cat, hurrying was hardly a trot.

Molewhisker followed her. The she-cat's excitement was peculiar. For someone who was clearly weak and ill, Ambermoon had a lot of energy. And if he was being honest with himself, Molewhisker considered it a breath of fresh air. Nowadays, seeing a cat with so much bounce in their step was rare. Even the apprentices had lost some of their enthusiastic nature.

The nursery was the same as always, though Molewhisker hadn't entered it in moons. Same warm, milky scent. Same packed earth beneath his paws.

The only difference was, instead of Daisy dozing in her corner nest, Blossomfall laid close to the center. The she-cat snapped from grooming her tail, clearly surprised by her visitors.

Her blue eyes were wide as they rested on Ambermoon, "What are you doing in here?"

"In all the stars, Blossomfall, look at you!" Ambermoon trilled, amazed by the she-cat's expanded belly. She stepped closer to the queen, and Molewhisker saw the fur rise on Blossomfall's back. What in StarClan..?

"Are you mad?! Don't come near me! Get out!" Blossomfall hissed, sitting up as if she was ready to fight.

Molewhisker stepped forward. Blossomfall's anger was strange, and he wasn't prepared to let a queen and a sick cat go at it. He meowed as calmly as possible, "Blossomfall, it's just Ambermoon."

"I can see that, fleabrain! Get her out!" Blossomfall growled, practically spitting in his face.

"What's going on in here?" Molewhisker turned to see Ivypool poking her head in. The tabby's eyes widened upon seeing Ambermoon, "What in StarClan? What are you doing in here?!"

Ambermoon looked confused, "I—I don't…"

"Stop mumbling and get out!" Blossomfall demanded. The queen's standing fur made her look twice her size.

Molewhisker shrank back when Ivypool's glare snapped to him, "Did you let her in here? Mousebrain! Ambermoon, come out!"

"I—I'm sorry," Ambermoon mumbled, dipping her head and hurried outside. Molewhisker moved to follow her, but not before casting one more glance at Blossomfall. It was only then that he saw the anxiety in her eyes. Fear-scent was coming off of her in waves, and she almost seemed to be shaking.

' _She isn't angry,'_ he realized, _'She's terrified. But why?'_

Ivypool hissed at them as soon as they were out of the den, "Just what were you doing in there?!"

"I just wanted to visit…" Ambermoon mewed quietly, hardly more than a whisper. The she-cat looked down at her paws, unwilling to meet Ivypool's gaze.

Molewhisker took over, "We didn't know Blossomfall would be upset. I can't imagine why though."

"Are you serious? Molewhisker, Ambermoon is _sick_! And you just exposed an expecting queen to blackcough! Did you seriously not even _consider_ —"

"No, I didn't," Molewhisker interrupted. The moment Ivypool had spoken; he realized that she was right. His heart was pounding. What _was_ he thinking? He met his clanmate's harsh gaze, "I'm sorry. I take full responsibility."

Ambermoon looked up, incredulous, "What? No, Ivypool, it was my idea. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

Ivypool sniffed, eyes narrowed and clearly not accepting either apology. She looked between Molewhisker and Ambermoon, and finally huffed after a moment.

She meowed, "I'm telling Jayfeather about this. There's no real option about it, now that Blossomfall's been exposed. But first, I'm going to calm her down. Ambermoon should probably go back to the medicine den anyways."

Molewhisker dipped his head, agreeing. It was the only thing he could really do. He was still surprised by everything. Blossomfall's fear, his own foolishness, and Ambermoon's attempt to take responsibility. Of course, she couldn't. He was responsible for her, a frail and ailing cat. And he'd allowed that frail, ailing cat to potentially pass her sickness onto a pregnant queen.

If Blossomfall fell ill, then her kits could very well die inside her. And it wouldn't be the first time.

Rosepetal had been expecting kits when the sickness first took hold of her. Hearing her screeches, filled with pain and sorrow, as her kits came into the world too early…it was horrifying. He was glad that he hadn't seen the poor kits, all of which were either stillborn or died before they could take a breath. But Poppyfrost had seen them, and what she described was nothing short of a nightmare. The kits were too small, too hairless and soaked in blood.

For the torturous nights that followed, Rosepetal's gut-wrenching wails filled his dreams.

Stars, he should have told Birchfall to get someone else and gone to his nest.

As Ivypool slipped into the nursery, he and Ambermoon started for the medicine den. Molewhisker mentally prepared himself for Jayfeather's wrath. The medicine cat's sharp tongue was nothing new to him, but knowing that he had actually done something wrong added a new weight to it. What was that called? Dread, that was it.

Just as they were approaching the den, Ambermoon turned in the opposite direction.

"Ambermoon," he meowed stiffly. Should he be angry with her? He wasn't.

"I told Jayfeather I would eat," Ambermoon replied. There was a strain in her voice, "I don't want to give him something else to be mad about."

Oh, right.

"I can get something for you. You should get back to your nest," Molewhisker mewed, padding to catch up to the younger cat. It wasn't difficult. Though Ambermoon was trying to move quickly, her legs were shaking even more than before.

"Are you kidding me? Jayfeather's going to trap me in there for moons after this. I'm staying out for as long as I can," Ambermoon chirped. Her upbeat tone was back, almost as if the Blossomfall incident hadn't happened.

"Are you sure?" Molewhisker asked. Ambermoon was his clanmate, and one with a serious illness. Not to mention that she was one of the last she-cats in the Clan. As upset as he was, he still cared for her. The last thing he wanted was for her health to worsen.

"Of course I'm sure!" Ambermoon huffed. Despite her words, the she-cat plopped down the moment they reached the fresh-kill pile. A puff of exerted breath left her lungs.

Molewhisker frowned. Quickly, he snatched a vole from the pile and dropped it at the she-cat's paws.

"Thanks," Ambermoon meowed, lowering her head to eat.

For a moment, Molewhisker wondered if the prey was too small. Ambermoon wasn't at the stage where she rejected food yet, so it made sense to give her as much as possible while he could.

But after only a few bites, Ambermoon sat up and swiped her tongue over her muzzle. The vole was only half-eaten.

Ambermoon noticed his look, "I'm, uh, full. You can have the rest if you want."

"…Alright," Molewhisker crouched and gulped down what little remained of the vole. It sat like a rock in his stomach.

Ambermoon hadn't rejected the prey, just as he'd been sure she wouldn't. But could she really not finish off something that Molewhisker had thought of as tiny? Or had she just felt awkward and decided to share. He wanted to believe the latter.

Her amber eyes, still soft and full of thought, revealed nothing.

A yellow butterfly fluttered past.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Ohhhhh my gosh, it's been so long! Thank you all for being so patient with me, especially you, Poppycloud!**

 **I'll be on break for the next week or so, so hopefully I'll get more updates out. As of now, I'll try to work on** _ **Intertwine**_ **and** _ **Dystopia**_ **, for anyone who's read those fics.**

 **I've decided to give this fic three arcs. Currently, we are still in what I call the Quest Arc, which will probably be 6-10 more chapters long. This fic might end up longer than I intended!**

 **As always, I have a new poll up. This one is pretty simple: Who is your favorite main character in canon? I'm curious to see the results!**

 **I may also put up a poll to decide on the names of Blossomfall's kits, so keep an eye out for that!**

 **And of course, here is our fun-fact:**

 **Fact:** **Strikestone, as of** _ **"The Raging Storm"**_ **is the only one of Dawnpelt's kits who never displays murderous intent.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	10. Chapter 8: As the Rain Pours

**Chapter 8: As the Rain Pours**

"I smell rain," Bumblestripe mewed.

Cherryfall wrinkled her nose. There wasn't any need for Bumblestripe to say it; everyone could catch the scent of an oncoming downpour. The clouds, dark and ominous in the evening sky, certainly weren't hiding anything. A heavy feeling filled the air as the wind pushed and pulled around them.

She looked to Thornclaw, "Should we stop for now?"

"Of course," Tigerheart responded before Thornclaw could. Cherryfall didn't miss the way Thornclaw's fur bristled on his tail as the ShadowClan cat continued, "That, or we'll be caught in a downpour."

"I think she asked Thornclaw," Mousewhisker meowed, his voice raised above the howling wind. Cherryfall felt a curl of satisfaction at his words, and it only grew when Tigerheart's face twisted into a look of irritation.

For the last two days, things had been getting tense among the questing cats. Cherryfall could feel the heavy prickle of agitation almost constantly now, and the cause was unsurprisingly the other Clan-cats. Breezepelt's sharp personality, combined with Tigerheart's need to challenge Thornclaw over everything, was really starting to wear everyone down. And she was no exception.

"Well I agree," Heronwing piped up. The tom was practically trotting along, completely unworried by the impending weather, "As nice as rain is, I don't think it makes for nice travel."

Oh yeah, and there was _him_.

Heronwing was frustrating on an entirely new level; one that Cherryfall didn't even completely understand. He always had an opinion that he needed to voice, even when it wasn't asked for. More than that, he always did whatever _he_ considered necessary at any given moment. Cherryfall had come to the conclusion that he was an apprentice in a warrior's body.

Breezepelt grumbled from behind Bumblestripe, "Well? Are we stopping or not? I'm no RiverClan cat; I'm not getting my pelt wet!"

"It's not bad once you're used to it," Heronwing replied, earning a hissed oath from the WindClan tom. If Cherryfall didn't find Breezepelt just as aggravating, she would have been pleased by his response.

Thornclaw spoke sharply, catching the group's attention, "Alright. We'll stop for the night. Let's find cover."

The senior warrior strode forward, not waiting for a response. Cherryfall hastened her pace to keep up with him. The strong wind tugged and whipped the foliage around them. It was so loud that she couldn't even hear the crunch of her own pawsteps.

So naturally, she didn't hear Thornclaw's call of warning before she bumped into him. She blinked, surprised, and was about to apologize when he whipped around.

"Stop! Everyone stop!" he called. His amber eyes were stretched wide, catching the dim light of dusk.

"What is it?" Bumblestripe asked, raising his voice over the howling wind. Cherryfall could see that the others had stopped as well.

But the question was unneeded. Cherryfall watched as a dim light slowly grew from far off. With it, she realized she could hear a low rumble that rose above the sound of the wind, rising just as quickly as the light's brightness.

A massive shape burst into view with two bright beams of light shining as it looked ahead. The glow lit up the flat, black path that it sped on. Enormous black paws rolled as it ran, surely large enough to crush a cat beneath them. Though it was only there for two, pounding heartbeats, its ominous and unnatural red color planted the thought of blood in Cherryfall's mind.

It was a monster, she realized, frozen in place as it passed. Her fur was buffeted by the force of its airflow. She was only a tail-length away from the thunderpath.

' _Dear StarClan. I didn't even see it!'_

The cats stared after the monster long after it had gone. Slowly, the sound of its thundering steps faded, and all that was left was the dimming sky and the howling wind. The thunderpath seemed to vanish in the darkness once more. But as Cherryfall stared at it, she could catch small details of its rocky surface in the faint moonlight.

After a moment of silence, Strikepaw asked in wonder, "Is it gone?"

"Of course," Tigerheart replied. He shook his pelt, but Cherryfall could still see that his fur was only just beginning to lie flat again. He continued, "Listen. It's long gone now."

"Good call, Thornclaw," Mousewhisker meowed. Bumblestripe murmured a similar praise.

Thornclaw sniffed in acknowledgement before starting forward, "Right. Let's go before another comes."

Cherryfall watched as her clanmate bravely padded across the dark path. After a moment of hesitation, Mousewhisker followed him. Then Tigerheart, whose tail rested on Strikepaw's shoulder as he led the way. Breezepelt darted across, almost as if he thought a monster would appear suddenly and he was racing to evade it. Bumblestripe gave Cherryfall a small nod before he followed the WindClan cat.

Suddenly, it was Cherryfall's turn. It was only then that she realized she was still frozen in place, her muscles tensed with fear.

"Scared?" Heronwing's voice startled her. She turned sharply, finding him standing right beside her. With his own pelt bristling, he mewed, "Here, I'll go with you."

"I'm fine," Cherryfall mewed, ears flattening at his attempt at friendliness. Her voice shook without her consent. Not waiting for his response, she turned and started. Warily, she took a few tentative steps onto the thunderpath. The surface was as hard as rock and smelled acrid.

"Come on! Hurry up!" Thornclaw's voice called out. She could make out the shape of her clanmate, watching her from beyond the thunderpath.

Cherryfall mentally shook herself. She steeled herself and began trotting forward, urging herself not to give in and stop to look around for signs of a monster. The faster she was across, the faster she'd be safe. In just a few heartbeats, she felt grass beneath her paws once more, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Done," she mewed, happy to be off the wretched path. She credited herself for not jumping when Heronwing brushed beside her, apparently having been close behind. She did, however, give him a sharp look that he either didn't see or completely ignored.

They were in a dip in the ground, where the soil felt dry and gritty under her paws. Cherryfall vaguely wondered what the dip would be like once it started raining. Would it flood?

Breezepelt sniffed, "Great, everyone's still alive. Now are we going to stand around and wait for the next monster or what?"

"Or what. Let's keep moving," Thornclaw meowed, displeasure coating his voice. The tom padded up the dip and paused. Under his breath, he muttered, "Foxdung."

"What's wrong?" Mousewhisker asked, moving up beside him. Cherryfall followed, and realized what had upset the senior warrior.

Before them, beyond the few sparse trees that lined the thunderpath, was a large vertical shape in the darkening night. Looking from side to side, Cherryfall could see that it went on for foxlengths upon foxlengths.

"What _is_ that?" she asked, her amber eyes widening.

"A fence," Thornclaw replied. The flick of his tail made it clear that he was displeased, "And that means one thing."

Cherryfall was about to ask what he meant when Breezepelt came up beside them and hissed at the sight. The tom growled, "A Twolegplace. Of course it's a Twolegplace."

Oh. Cherryfall had heard plenty of stories of Twolegplaces from Purdy in the past. He'd described tales of lunging dogs attached to something called "chains", kittypets that welcomed the touch of Twolegs, and monsters that slept outside of Twoleg nests.

She shuddered, "Then…what now?"

Tigerheart, to her surprise, sighed and started towards the fence, "I guess we have to go through."

Strikepaw readily scrabbled after him. Cherryfall watched the two, feeling a twinge of irritation. Once again, Tigerheart was acting like _he_ was leading the mission instead of Thornclaw. Through the corner of her eye, she saw her clanmate's face set in a frown. But he huffed and started walking.

"We're going through, if just to find shelter for the night," Thornclaw announced, ignoring Tigerheart as he moved to the front of the group. He waved his tail for everyone to follow, "But keep your eyes and ears peeled for Twolegs or dogs. We don't want any more obstacles than are necessary."

"Eyes and ears peeled," Heronwing meowed, trotting passed Cherryfall and up the dip, "Got it."

Cherryfall padded forward. Uncertainty clawed at her belly as she approached the ominous fence. Up close, she could see that it was made of wood. But unlike a tree, had no branches that bent in the howling wind, like the ones that were scraping against its surface from the nearby bushes. It looked completely unnatural.

' _Is every Twoleg thing so strange?'_ she wondered.

Those thoughts continued as they jumped onto the fence and into what Cherryfall guessed was a "garden", going off of Purdy's stories. At first, it didn't seem so odd. Aside from the odd structure that was the Twoleg nest, the garden seemed like a part of the forest. Flowering bushes grew large at the wall of the nest, and a single small tree casted shadows across the grass.

But then Cherryfall noticed a strange piece of wood that hung from the tree on two thick vines. The powerful wind blew it back and forth, causing a steady creaking sound. Did normal trees grow things like that? She'd certainly never seen something like that before.

"Find some place to sleep," Thornclaw meowed, "We're leaving at dawn."

With that, the tabby crept under one of the flowering bushes, the pale tip of his tail vanishing beneath the dark leaves alongside Bumblestripe. Cherryfall heard Breezepelt grumbling under his breath as the tom bumped passed her. The act was undoubtedly on purpose. But for once, she figured it was best to just roll her eyes and stay away from him until morning.

Cherryfall's first thought was to join her clanmates beneath the bush, but as she drew close, she noticed thorns along its branches. She hesitated. Although most of her clanmates never minded the light brush of brambles or thistles, Cherryfall had never been fond of the feeling. And these thorns were bigger than anything that lined the warriors' den.

Sighing, she turned away and scanned the garden. Immediately, she spotted something even weirder than the tree. It was roundish and red, with two sticks on one end and a round _thing_ —similar to the paw of a monster—on the top of the other end. It was tilted, with its hollow inside creating a small shelter.

She padded closer to inspect it. A careful sniff brought her the strange scent that she guessed was Twoleg, accompanied by rich earth. It would do, she supposed.

She settled in, tucking her paws beneath herself and closing her eyes. Just moments later, a fat raindrop plopped onto her shelter with a _'ting'_ against its hard surface. More drops followed, and a downpour soon began. A shower of rain graced the Twoleg garden, beating against Cherryfall's makeshift den in a strangely soothing, repetitive white noise. The sound of rain and wind lulled her to sleep.

She dreamed of her mother.

* * *

The morning birdsong woke her.

Slowly, Cherryfall's mind retreated from the realm of sleep, rising slowly into awareness. She kept her eyes closed, feeling far too comfortable to wake in any hurry. Beside her, she felt the comforting warmth of her brother. Molewhisker's thick pelt pressed against hers as he made minute movements that she correlated to grooming.

It was odd. Normally, she awoke earlier than him, but she supposed he may have just returned from standing guard all night. She opened her eyes the slightest bit, greeting the warm light of dawn and the black fur of her littermate.

Wait. Black?

Cherryfall's eyes shot open and she jumped to her paws. All at once, she remembered that she was not home and the cat beside her was most certainly _not_ Molewhisker.

"What are you doing here?" she screeched, meeting Heronwing's startled gaze.

The RiverClan cat shook off his surprise and faced her calmly, "The rain last night leaked into the den I chose. You were already asleep when I found this thing, so I figured it'd be rude to wake you. Especially after the thunderpath scared you so much."

There it was. That teasing shine in the tom's blue eyes that meant he was messing with her. The tom was just as afraid as she was last night, and he knew very well that she'd be upset when she woke up. It was like the whole thing was a game to him.

Cherryfall growled lowly, about to retort when she heard Mousewhisker call out for her.

It was as good as any excuse to get away from the tom. She turned and slipped out from under the shelter. The sky was clear and tinted orange as the sun continued to rise. Raindrops from the previous night rested on countless blades of grass, wetting her paws as she walked. To her disappointment, Heronwing was right behind her as she exited.

The tom trotted up to her side, "Listen, I'm wasn't trying t—"

"Hold on, what were you doing with her?" Mousewhisker asked accusing, coming to stand so close to Heronwing that Cherryfall thought their whiskers were touching.

It took the both of them aback. Cherryfall instantly remembered the incident with the stream, and how Mousewhisker had been so quick to try and defend her. She felt a prickle of irritation climb up her spine. It was just as unnecessary then as it was now. If they were back home, she'd understand perfectly well why her clanmate was acting that way. But here, away from the sharp tension of clanmates and Gatherings, she'd hoped that things would be a little different and she could have some semblance of self-sufficiency. Apparently not.

Heronwing was an annoying furball all on his own. But this just added to Cherryfall's displeasure.

"Calm down, mouse-brain," Cherryfall mewed, putting a light tone into her voice, "Nothing happened."

"Something could have," Mousewhisker retorted, lashing his tail.

Heronwing held the tom's gaze steadily, "Well, nothing did."

By that point, the others had gathered, and Thornclaw seemed to have no tolerance for the growing aggression. He bumped Mousewhisker aside, coming between the two toms.

He spoke firmly, "Cut it out. We have to get a move on, before any Twolegs discover we're here."

Cherryfall relaxed. She gave Thornclaw a warm gaze, grateful for his intervention. If the two had continued, she thought she'd have to start cuffing some ears. Thankfully, Mousewhisker huffed and turned away. Heronwing, aside from an air of satisfaction that she detected, let the situation go as well.

Then Breezepelt piped up, his amber eyes gleaming as he peered at Heronwing, "Don't get too comfortable, Thornclaw. I wouldn't be surprised if something _did_ happen. You know how RiverClan cats are."

"What does _that_ mean?" Heronwing faced him sharply, his hard voice shocking the others, Cherryfall especially. She stared at him with wide eyes. In the last few days of knowing him, Cherryfall never imagined the carefree tom's temper could be triggered so easily.

"Breezepelt," Thornclaw meowed warningly. Behind him, Tigerheart and Strikepaw were watching the scene, one with narrow-eyed interest and the other with curiosity.

The WindClan cat continued, ears flattening to reveal more anger than Cherryfall had realized, "I think you know. How exactly does a deputy take advantage of his own apprentice without being demoted? Is Mistystar senile, or is that just the way RiverClan does things?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Heronwing growled, stepping closer to the smaller cat.

"Then why don't you explain?"

"You piece of rotting fish, you think RiverClan is full of monsters? You think it was a _choice_?! Well it wasn't! It was that or—!" Heronwing hissed, practically spitting in Breezepelt's face.

Before he could finish, a voice called out, "I _knew_ I heard voices!"

The Clan cats jumped, forgetting the growing tension as they all whirled to face whoever had spoken. Cherryfall blinked in surprise as she saw a small, pale tabby she-cat. She was perched atop the fence of another garden, looking down at the group with curious eyes.

The she-cat turned her head to speak to someone else, "There _are_ cats over here! A whole bunch of them!"

"Are those kittypets?" Strikepaw questioned in wonder.

"Let me see," another cat meowed as he jumped up beside the she-cat. He peered down at the group with narrowed green eyes, "Okay, you got me. Hey there! What are you all gathered for?"

Cherryfall looked to Thornclaw, "What do we do?"

"They don't look like they want a fight," Tigerheart commented, "And it looks like there are only two of them. They can't be much trouble."

"We'll just send them running," Breezepelt offered, flexing his claws, obviously unhappy for being interrupted.

Thornclaw ignored them both, stepping closer to the fence and calling up, "We're just passing through. Go ahead back to your Twolegs."

"Twolegs?" the she-cat echoed, "Do you mean housefolk? We don't have those. We're free cats!"

Cherryfall tilted her head, padding to join Thornclaw, "I think she means they're loners. Like Purdy was."

"As if that's any better," Thornclaw muttered quietly before speaking to the two cats, "Look, we're sorry if we were too loud and woke you. But we'll be going now, so there's no need for you to worry."

"Oh, you didn't wake us," the she-cat trilled. To Cherryfall's disappointment, she leapt off the fence and approached the Clan cats, her companion close behind her.

Seeing loners up close, Cherryfall could tell that they had lived well despite not being kittypets. Their pelts were smooth and soft-looking, with no scars to mar their plump bodies. A feeling of disdain came over her. These cats knew nothing of hardship.

"I'm Raspberry, and this is Sparrow," the she-cat mewed, gesturing to the reddish tom, "And I don't think we've seen any of you before. Who are you? Where did you come from? Did your housefolk just move here? Or are you free cats like us?"

Too many questions. Cherryfall could see Thornclaw's eyes narrowing with the same annoyance that she felt. It seemed like Sparrow noticed it too, because the tom stepped up to interrupt his friend.

"How about we start with introductions and take it from there?"

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: AHHHHH IT'S BEEN FOREVER. Sorry guys, a lot has been going on lately.**

 **To cut a long story short, I had surgery around New Years and spent pretty much all of January lying in bed afterwards (it really sucked, trust me). It's nothing major, but it has left me scrambling to get everything back in order over the last two months. Things are finally starting to settle! Anyways, I hope this 3k+ chapter helps to make up for my absence!**

 **I'm planning on putting more work into my newest story,** _ **Dead of Winter**_ **. If you like darker themes and a taste of suspense, I suggest checking it out!**

 **Of course, I have a new poll up and would love if you guys could vote on it! In addition, I'm gonna go ahead and ask for some reviews (because honestly, those are my fuel to keep writing). I especially love your reviews, Poppycloud!**

 **As always, here is your fun fact of the day.**

 **Fact:** **Tree will be getting a novella sometime in the future.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


End file.
